Chapters 6 and 7 Summary and Analysis
Chapter 6
Azeema finally underwent a successful surgery to remove the bullet in her chest. Though Nowruz encouraged her to recuperate, Azeema was eager to return to battle and lead her team.
By early 2015, Syria had been divided into areas controlled by the Assad regime, the rebels, the Kurds, and ISIS and other extremist Islamist groups. After its defeat in Kobani, ISIS claimed the ancient town of Palmyra and destroyed cultural relics. Next, they eyed Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria. The Kurds reclaimed some ISIS-controlled areas as the summer progressed and next tried to win back Hassakeh.
Azeema ignored the advice of her commander and returned to the front lines, this time in Hassakeh. ISIS fighters in the area were less advanced than they had been in Kobani. Azeema led a larger team than she had commanded in Kobani and prided herself on not having lost any troops yet. ISIS fighters on the radio seemed to be targeting Azeema, and her forces teased her about becoming famous among their enemies.
As she approached the front lines one day, riding in a truck with several teammates, Azeema had a bad feeling that turned out to be right: a grenade detonated immediately under Azeema’s seat. Immediately afterward, she had trouble seeing and could not move her legs; she had to be dragged out of the truck and taken to the hospital, where she learned that both of her legs were broken. As she recovered in the hospital, Azeema insisted on holding strategy meetings at her bedside.
Lemmon outlines American involvement in Syria following the successful stand at Kobani. Special ops leaders like Leo James and Mitch Harper had come to believe that the YPJ/YPG were indeed the ground force the United States needed to defeat ISIS. In the Obama administration, however, opinions varied, as some worried that the Democratic Union Party was too closely aligned with PKK and thus a threat to the United States’s relationship with Turkey. The administration was able to gain approval for more assistance to Syrian Kurds by encouraging the YPG/YPJ to unite with Arab rebel forces. The newly formed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) assured American leaders that supporting Syrian ground forces against ISIS was worthwhile. Meanwhile, Russia began an air attack to assist the Assad regime, giving Americans further motivation to support rebel troops.
In October 2015, Obama deployed a small number of special ops forces, including Leo and Mitch, to Syria. These men who had been working in the background, with strategy, air strikes, and supply support, would now be joining the war in a more direct way. ISIS had attacked Paris in November, and two devotees of al-Baghdadi had killed fourteen people in California, so the fight against ISIS was growing in the West as well.
Mitch entered Syria in December with a Kobani local named Mazlum as his guide. He saw firsthand the damage done to the town, but he also saw the extraordinary drive of the YPJ/YPG to defend their territory. Mitch was given the shawl of a fallen YPJ fighter, and he and his colleagues met a young YPJ fighter who jokingly challenged the Americans about who had killed more ISIS troops. The commitment of the YPG/YPJ was solidified for the American special ops leaders in this visit.
Azeema’s recovery progressed much faster than expected, allowing Azeema to engage in strategy sessions and even occasionally visit the front. Nowruz, however, assigned her to intelligence duty in order to protect her.
Chapter 7
Nowruz watched her troops cross the Euphrates in Zodiac boats under the cover of night. The SDF was heading...
(This entire section contains 1428 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
to Manbij, a Syrian town held by ISIS for two years. Taking the town had been an important victory for ISIS, allowing transportation through the Turkish border. The Americans continued to support the SDF, motivated by the fact that the ISIS extremists who terrorized Paris travelled through Manbij.
Nowruz reflected on the complexity of the mission now that the YPG/YPG was coordinating with the Arab rebels under the umbrella of the SDF. ISIS had mines and other explosive traps planted strategically to combat the SDF’s approach; they also held civilians hostage to discourage US air strikes and aggressive measures by ground forces. The YPJ led the river crossing, so Nowruz knew that the pressure was on her fighters. Soon, Raheema, a YPJ soldier, confirmed that the crossing had been successful, but once on land, the troops faced significant fire from ISIS and were forced to hold off until dawn.
Meanwhile, Znarin was leading a team of troops, having advanced through the ranks since serving as Nowruz’s assistant. Originally from Manbij, Znarin felt motivated to liberate her hometown and give the citizens back their freedom, especially because she had suffered from so many restrictions there herself. Znarin’s experience with ISIS solidified her commitment to the YPJ’s mission; ISIS’s misogyny and abuse of women fueled her fight.
While conflict in Manbij presented many challenges—there were no bridges over which to transport heavy artillery—the SDF won victories, such as freeing enslaved Yazidi women. Nonetheless, the troops suffered losses due to ISIS’s strategically placed explosives and the use of civilians as human shields. As Znarin’s team approached the city center, a junior YPJ soldier told her that someone wanted to speak to her: a teenage girl who wanted to join the fight. The girl was too young to do so now, but Znarin encouraged her to join later.
Znarin gained confidence as a leader but mourned the heavy losses of YPJ fighters. The United States executed a controversial strike that killed seventy civilians while trying to attack ISIS. By the summer, the SDF had captured a majority of Manbij, but ISIS refused to surrender. They fought to the death until the SDF retook Manbij for Syria, marking progress for the YPG/YPJ and for Znarin personally.
Analysis
In chapter 6, Lemmon focuses on Azeema, portraying her as a larger-than-life hero. Not long after being shot by a sniper and undergoing surgery, Azeema is back on the front lines in the campaign to win back Hassakeh. She insists that she “didn’t come to YPJ to rest” and quickly rejoins her team. However, she is severely wounded in a car bombing, breaking both legs and facing a long recovery. Lemmon describes the bombing scene in dramatic fashion, as Azeema at first cannot see, then realizes she cannot move when her comrade orders her to exit the car. Azeema knows her injury is serious, but she repeats to herself, “I will not die. I will not give ISIS that gift.” From her hospital bed, she continues to meet with commanders, viewing maps and helping with strategy. Much sooner than anyone expects, Azeema is able to walk with a cane and sometimes even travel to the front lines to support her team.
In a continued attempt to align American readers’ sympathies with the YPJ effort, Lemmon describes the special ops fighters’ visit to Kobani. SDF leader Mazlum guides the fighters through Kobani, where they see both the destruction and the graffiti declaring “WE WILL FIGHT TO THE LAST PERSON. YPJ/YPG” in Kurdish dialect. Mitch is moved by the scene; it brings home how utterly dedicated to the mission these fighters have been. He is presented with a shawl that he counts as “among the most meaningful presents . . . because no one could ever bring back the woman who once wore it.” As the American soldiers make personal and emotional connections to the YPJ, readers are encouraged to support the YPJ’s cause as well.
Lemmon highlights YPJ leaders in the battle for Manbij, first through the lens of cool, collected leader Nowruz as she anticipates her troops crossing the Euphrates, and later through the perspective of Znarin, who is interesting both because of her personal connection to the area (Manbij is her hometown) and the narrative of her progress from Nowruz’s aide to frontline leader in a crucial battle with ISIS. Especially poignant is the latter narrative; the reader sees Znarin’s psychological growth as she works through her own fears and doubts to become confident and self-assured. By the time the SDF has liberated Manbij from ISIS control, the reader has witnessed progress both in the SDF’s fight against ISIS and in Znarin’s character development. Lemmon explicitly pairs the two, ending chapter 7 by juxtaposing the SDF’s first significant victory with Znarin’s “own ‘first’ ”: leading her fighters and trusting herself to do so.
