US Turns Deaf Ear to Iraqi Kurds' Plea for Help

The Kurds in northern Iraq, America's strongest ally in the Middle East, are being threatened by the radical Muslim army known as Islamic State, which has taken over large parts of the country.

"Free us from the terrorists!" an Iraqi Kurd begged a reporter.

Even so, the Obama administration turned down their request for help.

Meanwhile, Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered his country's armed forces to help the Kurdish military battle a Sunni militant offensive in northern Iraq.

The attacks by IS have caused tens of thousands of Christians and other minorities to flee their homes.

"Thousands of (Kurdish) Yazidi people have been killed, and thousands have become refugees," Yazidi community spokesperson Jawhar Ali Begg said. "Forty-thousand have fled their homes. Their town is controlled by the Islamic State and their shrine has been blown up."

This is happening to one of America's strongest allies in the Middle East.

Some analysts say the Kurds need and deserve their own state and America's protection.

"The Kurds love America," CBN News Senior International Correspondent Gary Lane said. "The Kurds have been a longtime ally of the U.S. During the Iraq War we could count on them to counter Saddam Hussein, and it's one of the only democracies in the area. "

But support for the Kurds from the Obama administration is lacking because other nations in the region like Turkey don't want to see an independent Kurdistan

The threat to the Kurds raises the question of America's commitment to Iraq and its allies around the world, and whether the White House has the stomach to defend them.

Meanwhile, the disintegration of Iraq continues, according to Lane.

"It's already too late," Lane said. "We've seen the 'balkanization' of Iraq. It's splitting up before our very eyes. It won't be long before we'll see a Kurdistan, a 'Sunnistan' and perhaps a 'Shiastan.' It'll be three separate nations."