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If We Want to Destroy ISIS, We Can Destroy ISIS
If we want to destroy ISIS, we can destroy ISIS. Perhaps I am stating the obvious, but I want to state it anyway. Why? Because I am not hearing it enough.
I’m certainly not hearing it from the White House, where the original goal of destruction is barely mentioned. President Obama is listless. He’s also petulant, pointing political fingers at Republicans. But he doesn’t have a trace of a coherent policy to destroy ISIS. Not a trace.
This is from General Jack Keane, in his recent congressional testimony: “Having the best security defensive system in America is not sufficient; we must have as good an offense to stop and defeat ISIS. We do not. We are not even close.”
But very few people are talking about destroying ISIS. Destroy. Putting a hard and intense edge on it. Repeating it.
Some in the Republican party and on the campaign trail are saying it. But not enough. Not repeatedly. Not so as to boost the morale of the country.
We need determination. We need to be unflinching. We need to be focused on the goal of destroying ISIS.
We are at war. Our homeland is in danger. Yes, the moratorium on Syrian refugees must be in place. That’s easy. But what’s not easy is coming up with a coherent plan for destroying ISIS and telling America, “We can do this.” That is leadership.
It may not be exactly comparable to President Ronald Reagan’s often-repeated goal of defeating Soviet communism, and his message that, Yes, we can do it. But now is the time for our leaders to say we can destroy ISIS.
I am not a military strategist. What I am trying to propose here is a message, with urgency, that is vital to the leadership equation. If the White House won’t do it, then other leaders must.
It’s a week after the horrific Paris terror attacks, but basically the US has changed nothing. How can this be?
Why hasn’t the president called for an emergency meeting of NATO where we would join brave French president Hollande on declaring war with ISIS? Why haven’t we done this? If the president won’t, then Congress should.
And why have we not called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to get a war resolution through immediately?
And why hasn’t Congress already passed a new authorization for the use of military force?
And why have we not called an emergency conference of our Arab allies in the Middle East, to declare war and organize a campaign to destroy ISIS?
As National Review writer David French has noted, while we wait, ISIS is expanding its franchises in Egypt, North Africa, and Nigeria. And ISIS has certainly shown increased striking ability after shooting down a Russian plane, bombing in Lebanon, and unleashing the bloody Paris attacks.
I would venture that as long as ISIS has the real estate and territory and relative safety to operate in, it will organize, plan, and execute much more of this mayhem.
Take it away from them. Destroy ISIS.
We need to bring in Europe. Bring in our Arab allies. And as Fred and Kimberly Kagan note, give Baghdad the resources to retake Iraqi territory. And as tough as it may be, America must lead. Only America can create a grand coalition to win this war.
Of course, the air bombing has to be expanded substantially. As the Kagans and General Keane have argued, we need to expand the rules of engagement, lift all restrictions, and accept the fact that in this war there will be collateral damage.
And adding troops on the ground is a necessity. General Keane suggests a tripling, which would bring U.S. forces to about 10,000.
ISIS can only be destroyed by air and ground attacks. And a recent Washington Post/ABC poll shows that a full 60 percent of Americans favor additional ground forces.
So I say to the GOP candidates, go ahead and say it. Air and ground attacks, along with other collation forces. Ditto for the congressional leadership. Outflank the White House. The public is behind this because the public wants to destroy ISIS.
There are a million difficult issues, both tactical and strategic, in this military campaign. But the American military is the best in the world. Unleash them. Destroy ISIS. Working with our allies, we will save the American homeland, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia from this evil.
This is war. Let’s rally the country, and our friends overseas. Our friends, once again, will respect us. And finally, ISIS will fear us.
Most of all the message must be clear: We are not a helpless giant. We can do this. We’ve done it before. We can do it again.
If we want to destroy ISIS, then we can destroy ISIS.
Published in Islamist Terrorism, Military, Politics
Mr. Kudlow, haven’t you heard that what you propose is precisely what ISIS wants?!?
Agreed that Republican candidates should make such declarations. If a Republican is elected next year, he should rally voters now so that he can act quickly.
Bold clarity would help on the campaign trail, though inspirational speeches would be necessary to circumvent voters’ exhaustion over war in the Middle East generally. And perhaps Republicans need to explain how “This time, it will be different.” Would shock-and-awe morph into nation building?
All that aside, the situation will be significantly different by the time the next President takes office. In a year, Iraq and Syria might not exist, let alone their shared fictional border. I’m not saying that’s likely; only that enormous changes can occur in a year of war and shifting powers.
Amen to this! For those that don’t want war, we are already at war. Special Ops raids and airstrikes around the globe, that ain’t a picnic. What we are doing now is perpetual war. It is Obama voting “present” on foreign policy or doing something just to say we are doing something. I don’t hold out any hope that things will improve as long as our anti-American president still occupies the White House but things do need to change.
The question answers itself. If Obama wanted to “destroy” ISIS, we’d be in the process of destroying ISIS.
He has no such intent. In order to maintain his anti-war cred, he’ll mouth some platitudes about “containment” and “isolation” and “degradation” while sitting on his thumbs. “ISIS is on the wrong side of history.” Whatever.
We have fourteen months for the enemy to have its way. There’s nothing good that can come of it. I would discourage any young person I know from joining the military at this juncture. There’s no reason to subject yourself to this wholly puerile and feckless CINC.
It’ll last about as long as the ardor to destroy Al Quaeda did after 9/11. Which is to say that the Left will be plotting how to cut the legs out from under the effort before it even gets started.
I have a son and a son-in-law in the military. Before I would see them deployed into harm’s way I will have to see a complete change in the civilian and military leadership.
Until the American people as a whole are ready to face the bloody arithmetic and commit to victory, which will have its cost in blood and treasure, that’s not going to happen.
It will take a truly galvanizing event like a dirty bomb in New York, or a rogue nuke EMP putting half the country back to 1850 before the American people will efficaciously demand action from our leadership, and sack any of them that falter.
All good questions – Ted Cruz has proposed all that you mention – I get regular emails -he puts forth bills – the opponents block
http://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=2529
– your frustration is shared among millions of concerned citizens – I am afraid – not that we cannot protect ourselves, but that the current people in charge do not have the wisdom, clear vision or desire to defeat this enemy that is against all that is good, right and true.
It may take an outpouring from our countrymen and women, to send a message to every elected official, marches on DC, to make those that “we” the people have elected, understand that we want action taken to ensure the safety and security of our nation. If they are not held accountable, we can only blame ourselves – it will be too late by then.
1 Corinthians 14:8 (King James Version)
Our trumpet is named Obama.
Seawriter
Someone proposed earlier today that the hacker group Anonymous is doing more to hurt ISIS than President Obama right now.
That’s a pretty low bar for Anonymous to clear, you realize.
Seawriter
During the debates in 2002 over whether to invade Iraq, one of my biggest worries was that the American public would quickly sour on the war. Would Bush stay the course, anyway? I didn’t know. I even accurately predicted that, should he see it through, he’d be succeeded by a Democrat that would declare victory and go home, likely squandering much of whatever had been accomplished.
This made it hard to support invading Iraq, never mind strategic arguments.
Hear, hear!
We need the debate. Of course we can destroy them but we can’t change Islam, so then what? We also must decide on the “then what” if we decide to destroy them and that also depends on how we destroy them. Islam is what it is and has always been. Maybe it will change but we can’t change it. We can change lots of things here that we are doing disturbingly wrong, ineptly and corruptly. If we began to seriously dismantle the administrative state it would at least again demonstrate how civilization can flourish with freedom under the rule of law. Among other things, this would raise the value of visas and hence the power of not granting them to certain folks with relevant ties. Magic? Not at all, just getting things right and in the right perspective. We never know what the effects of freedom under the rule of law will bring, but we know where Administrative states end up.
This is exactly right. There is no leader of the Western World at this point. But there might be after another few attacks on Europe. Maybe France or England can join with Russia and commit to destroying ISIS. They will soon run low on smart bombs, but if they are willing to prosecute the war in a WWII manner it could be won in a month.
This says it all:
Seawriter
Bill Whittle videos ought to be playing on national TV ad slots during the evening news – as a sort of reality slap in the face.
I fully expect the French and Russians to conclude a military pact in the next 6 months, and do a combined invasion of Syria to destroy ISIS. The demand from Russia will be to accept Assad remaining in power.
Agreed though it naturally wouldn’t happen. I don’t know why Fox doesn’t partner up with him somehow?
The problem has never been how to destroy ISIS.
The problem has always been what comes after ISIS.
Does the US hand the territory back to the Assad regime (while continuing to fund the “moderate rebels”) or does the US instead hand the territory over to the “moderate rebels” (who will then have to defend it from the Assad regime)?
Yep.
I completely agree. I’ve been calling for strong interventionism on this for a while now. And given what happened in Paris I believe most Europeans would be with us. It’s time to squash these punks. Without mercy, as the president of France said.
I wish this was true but it is not. The U.S. lacks the leadership and political will to do anything to ISIS. It lacks it now under Obama, it will lack it in the future under Clinton. There is a small chance that a Republican might be the next POTUS, but if so the left will hamstring them till they are ineffective. Heck the GOP can’t even get a decent budget done or stopped hostile immigrants/refuges when they control the congress, how will they be able to effectively fight a war? Be real, it can’t happen. No we are toast on this one. Europe is on its own this time and it will be reveled how little America’s word means in modern time.
Agree.
Larry, where have you been for seven years? The word “victory” doesn’t pass Obama’s lips unless he is talking about beating Republicans. He wants a weakened and diminished America. He doesn’t want to defeat ISIS. He wants to ignore it until he is out of office.
This should be the focus of all discussions about ISIS.
We cannot wait 14 months.
So what? If ISIS is happy after we go in, then we didn’t go in with enough force to kill and destroy.
Absolutely! ISIS wants a set battle, which is great! Instead of circling about trying to corner them into a battle, they are willing to meet us up. Does anyone doubt that a set battle with our technology and numbers would go unfavorable? This would be easier than the 92 Gulf war against Sadam. We should take them up and send them to their 72 virgins.