The Kurds are about the only folks around who’ve whipped ISIS on a battlefield and Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Gulf States want to send them guns so they can whip ISIS some more but President Obama says No.

He says the arms ought to be sent to Baghdad which, theoretically, in turn, will send them along to the Kurds – except there’s a hitch: The Baghdad Shiites don’t like the Kurds so they don’t send the guns along.

At first glance, this sounds like one of those age-old Middle East tribal rivalries but this time the feud is modern: The Kurds have their eyes set on being independent (just as soon as they’ve whipped ISIS) but there’re also oil fields in Kurdistan and Baghdad doesn’t want to let go of the money – so about the last thing it wants to see is a Kurdish Army armed to the teeth.

So in deference to Baghdad the President’s not sending guns directly to the Kurds which works out fine for Baghdad but doesn’t help whip ISIS.

Did you ever hear of an odder way to fight a war?