CBS is reporting that ISIS has killed 500 and forced another 8000 people to flee Ramadi in Iraq in the last few days as the terror group has taken control of that city. During that time, the media has mostly covered the raid by US forces into Syria that killed the head of ISIS's oil operations. The raid was extremely well executed and the American forces deserve credit for a job well done, but that ought not take away from the lessons to be learned from the fall of Ramadi. Here are a few:
1. American air strikes are not enough to stop ISIS in Iraq. We have now had ten months of US air power used on ISIS in Iraq and, to a lesser extent, in Syria. The level of air activity has been low, but the strikes have damaged some part of ISIS. Obviously, the air strikes have not been enough to stop the forward movement of ISIS. Ramadi is the capital of Anbar Province and an important and large city beyond that. It was defended by Iraqi government troops and the attack on the city lasted many months. That meant that the government in Baghdad had the time to send in reinforcements and weapons to properly confront the ISIS attack. There were also many air strikes on the ISIS troops attacking the city. Nevertheless, the end result still has been that the Iraqi troops fled in defeat.
2. The consequences of any ISIS victory are horrible. ISIS knows no rules except those which fall within its version of Islam. That means that those who oppose its rule are put to death. It also means that those who follow religious practices that it considers heretical are put to death. That condemns Yazidis to death. It also means that Christians and Jews get the choice to convert or die. Lastly, and perhaps most important in Iraq, it means that Shiite Moslems also face the same consequences. Perhaps the best way to say this is that ISIS is not fighting for control of the government in Baghdad or Damascus. No, ISIS is fighting to use genocidal tactics to rid Iraq and Syria of all those who do not fit into the ISIS view of society.
3. The Iraqi army is a joke. Right now, the Iraqi army still has many more troops than ISIS. It has better weapons. It has air support. It seems unable to win a battle, however. The Kurds who have many fewer men in the Peshmerga have been able to stand against ISIS even though the Kurds lack modern weapons, so the issue is not the great skill or drive of ISIS. The truth is that the Iraqi army is a corrupt collection of losers. Any strategy to defeat ISIS that relies on the Iraqi army is doomed to failure.
The sooner our leaders recognize and accept these lessons, the better. We need a new strategy if we are to stop the monsters of ISIS.
1. American air strikes are not enough to stop ISIS in Iraq. We have now had ten months of US air power used on ISIS in Iraq and, to a lesser extent, in Syria. The level of air activity has been low, but the strikes have damaged some part of ISIS. Obviously, the air strikes have not been enough to stop the forward movement of ISIS. Ramadi is the capital of Anbar Province and an important and large city beyond that. It was defended by Iraqi government troops and the attack on the city lasted many months. That meant that the government in Baghdad had the time to send in reinforcements and weapons to properly confront the ISIS attack. There were also many air strikes on the ISIS troops attacking the city. Nevertheless, the end result still has been that the Iraqi troops fled in defeat.
2. The consequences of any ISIS victory are horrible. ISIS knows no rules except those which fall within its version of Islam. That means that those who oppose its rule are put to death. It also means that those who follow religious practices that it considers heretical are put to death. That condemns Yazidis to death. It also means that Christians and Jews get the choice to convert or die. Lastly, and perhaps most important in Iraq, it means that Shiite Moslems also face the same consequences. Perhaps the best way to say this is that ISIS is not fighting for control of the government in Baghdad or Damascus. No, ISIS is fighting to use genocidal tactics to rid Iraq and Syria of all those who do not fit into the ISIS view of society.
3. The Iraqi army is a joke. Right now, the Iraqi army still has many more troops than ISIS. It has better weapons. It has air support. It seems unable to win a battle, however. The Kurds who have many fewer men in the Peshmerga have been able to stand against ISIS even though the Kurds lack modern weapons, so the issue is not the great skill or drive of ISIS. The truth is that the Iraqi army is a corrupt collection of losers. Any strategy to defeat ISIS that relies on the Iraqi army is doomed to failure.
The sooner our leaders recognize and accept these lessons, the better. We need a new strategy if we are to stop the monsters of ISIS.
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