Here is a simple question without an easy answer: are the people who come to fight as part of ISIS there to fight FOR something or AGAINST something? Consider that question and all its ramifications.
I am focused on the issue at the moment as a result of yet another column from the supposed foreign affairs expert of the New York Times, Tom Friedman. The column is all about how America needs to make sure that our campaign against ISIS is one in which there are Sunni Moslem countries actively participating so that the fight is one Sunni against another Sunni. Friedman's hypothesis is that with that structure, the ISIS terrorists will not be able to attract as much support among Sunnis.
Friedman's theory sounds good until you consider it for more than a moment and from a perspective other than the one in the liberal bubble that envelops New York and Washington. Remember, ISIS has been around and fighting for about two years or more. At first, it had two main enemies: the Assad forces in Syria (who are a kind of Shiite Moslems) and the Syrian National Council forces (who are almost all Sunni Moslems). During that time, even though ISIS was fighting only Moslems and one of the main enemies was Sunni, ISIS grew and gained recruits from all over the Moslem world. When ISIS entered Iraq, its new enemy was predominantly Shiite, but there were also a great many Sunnis on the other side. The main opponent to ISIS in Iraq has been the Kurdish forces. Kurds, of course, are Sunnis. ISIS still gained adherents. In short, for the last three years, before and after the American air strikes began, ISIS has been fighting Sunnis and Shiites. In other words, not every international issue is a matter of identity politics. ISIS is not fighting against Shiites or Christians. ISIS is fighting to establish its vision of a Sunni caliphate.
Now I know that president Obama told us the other day in his speech that ISIS is not Islamic, but that does not make it so (much to Obama's surprise, I am sure). The ISIS group truly has a world view that seeks to re-establish the Islamic model of 1300 years ago.
The real truth, however, is a much more important one. America will not prevail over ISIS by dabbling in tribal politics in the Middle East. We cannot settle the underlying dispute by getting the Sunni population of Iraq more from their government. This is not a battle for the spoils that come from a central welfare state. America will prevail over ISIS by destroying that group and killing its members.
I am focused on the issue at the moment as a result of yet another column from the supposed foreign affairs expert of the New York Times, Tom Friedman. The column is all about how America needs to make sure that our campaign against ISIS is one in which there are Sunni Moslem countries actively participating so that the fight is one Sunni against another Sunni. Friedman's hypothesis is that with that structure, the ISIS terrorists will not be able to attract as much support among Sunnis.
Friedman's theory sounds good until you consider it for more than a moment and from a perspective other than the one in the liberal bubble that envelops New York and Washington. Remember, ISIS has been around and fighting for about two years or more. At first, it had two main enemies: the Assad forces in Syria (who are a kind of Shiite Moslems) and the Syrian National Council forces (who are almost all Sunni Moslems). During that time, even though ISIS was fighting only Moslems and one of the main enemies was Sunni, ISIS grew and gained recruits from all over the Moslem world. When ISIS entered Iraq, its new enemy was predominantly Shiite, but there were also a great many Sunnis on the other side. The main opponent to ISIS in Iraq has been the Kurdish forces. Kurds, of course, are Sunnis. ISIS still gained adherents. In short, for the last three years, before and after the American air strikes began, ISIS has been fighting Sunnis and Shiites. In other words, not every international issue is a matter of identity politics. ISIS is not fighting against Shiites or Christians. ISIS is fighting to establish its vision of a Sunni caliphate.
Now I know that president Obama told us the other day in his speech that ISIS is not Islamic, but that does not make it so (much to Obama's surprise, I am sure). The ISIS group truly has a world view that seeks to re-establish the Islamic model of 1300 years ago.
The real truth, however, is a much more important one. America will not prevail over ISIS by dabbling in tribal politics in the Middle East. We cannot settle the underlying dispute by getting the Sunni population of Iraq more from their government. This is not a battle for the spoils that come from a central welfare state. America will prevail over ISIS by destroying that group and killing its members.
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