Secretary of State John Kerry has announced that the United States has concluded that the Islamic State’s actions against Yazidis, Christians, and Shiite Muslims in Iraq and Syria are acts of genocide. CNN reports that while the declaration is non-binding, it appears to have been at least partially motivated by Congress wanting to pressure the Obama administration into taking more decisive action against the Islamic State. The announcement has been well received both domestically and by Yazidi groups outside the U.S. However, there have been increasing calls for the U.S. government to build on this announcement by taking action either directly or through the U.N.
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