The Strategy to Defeat ISIS

Let's think this through. Until ISIS had beheaded two Americans, President Obama resisted with all his strength, to deal with this JV-like group of terrorists. Months have passed and we have seen ISIS grow from 5,000 to 30,000. There had been plenty of alarms, like their sudden blitzkrieg in Iraq and seizure of Mosul. None of this alarming moves seem to bother Obama. Ah, but cutting off two American heads did.

Forced to confront a force Obama once ignored, America began attacking from the air, mostly hard targets. This is a war to degrade over time until ISIS is just a JV team. Having the Arab countries also flying the bombing missions is great, after all, it is their problem, a Shiite- Sunni problem than just seems so lame to Western culture. I mean, who gives a phuck if one is from either sect. Why is this do important that countries go to war over?

Some over 200 airstrikes have occurred so far, but reports indicate that the impact on them is still undetermined. Part of the strategy is for boots on the ground. For this, 5000 fighters from the Free Syrian Army fighting the Syrian regime will be sent to Saudi Arabia to be trained by American CIA, ex-military. Training will last a year. A year? Military experts indicate this length of time is very excessive and ask why? But another question is, why just 5000? Does Obama really think these 5000 can defeat 30,000? The other problem is that according to the US Defense Secretary, there is no vetting standards to cull through the Syrian fighters. How do we know the weapons or their training does not become part of al-Nusra or ISIS? Chuck did not know. When he asked about who was the leader of the group where these fighters will come from, Chuck did not know. The US Secretary of Defense did not even know this. What does this show about the Obama plan?

It shows it is filled with unknowns. The only thing we have is a hope that it does work. Hope does not win wars. Telling the enemy what we will or will not do is just something an idiot does and Obama did this well. By declaring that no America troops will be used gives ISIS great hope of surviving. For now, they will just scatter and hide among civilians to avoid being bombed.

But, the hard targets are valuable to ISIS. The oil wells, roads, oil tankers and ports that provide millions of dollars to ISIS weekly are targets and easy kills. This part will starve the resources to ISIS. When Turkey enters, their oil will no longer be able to move across the border to the ports. ISIS wannabe fighters will no longer be able to join or exit.

The problem with the plan is that to really demolish ISIS, ground troops are needed from somewhere. Iraqi soldiers are pathetic, they ran from ISIS. The Kurds are much more able but may only be willing to stay within their own Kurdish area. None of the Arab nations would be willing to send their army into Syria or Iraq. That could start a new war. Will this mean it is American troops again?

Stay tuned.