SecState Kerry Acknowledges Genocide in Daesh Controlled Areas

TRIGGER WARNING:  Suggests a specific form of Islam is killing whole groups of people.
For John, BLUF:  No change on the ground, but puts us on record as seeing what is happening.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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"Kerry determines IS group committing genocide in Iraq, Syria", per Mr Matthew Lee of the Associated Press.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry determined Thursday that the Islamic State group is committing genocide against Christians and other minorities in Iraq and Syria, meeting a congressional deadline for a decision.

The declaration, while long sought by Congress and human rights groups, changes little.  It does not obligate the United States to take additional action against IS militants and does not prejudge any prosecution against its members.

A day after the State Department said Kerry would miss the deadline because he needed to gather evidence and act deliberatively, Kerry said he had completed his review and determined that Christians, Yazidis and Shiite groups are victims of genocide and crimes against humanity by IS militants.  The House earlier this week passed a nonbinding resolution by a 393-0 vote condemning IS atrocities as genocide.

Regards  —  Cliff