By Kimbra L. Fishel
The National Security Strategy of the the States (NSS) calls for direct state of war machine activity against ISIS inward Syrian Arab Republic together with Iraq, the disruption of terror plots, the devastation of terrorist rubber havens together with sources of finance, a shared responsibleness amongst allies inward confronting the threat together with combating radicalization to counter ISIS ideology. The Trump Administration’s NSS accurately identifies the ISIS terminate destination every bit creation of the global Islamic caliphate together with notes its totalitarian vision. This strategy farther acknowledges the threat posed past times ISIS volition rest later its territorial defeat inward Republic of Iraq together with Syria.
While the Trump Administration position forth a serial of broad ranging efforts spanning the instruments of mightiness for insurgent warfare, the President is nearing a 2nd of critical conclusion regarding US interest inward Syrian Arab Republic together with Iraq. Early withdrawal risks abandoning the expanse to a reemergence of the regional caliphate every bit good every bit to Iranian together with Russian influence. Declaring victory besides shortly could blind the US to the continued global threat of Islamist jihad. Therefore, US actions must secure the ways together with way of coming together the Administration’s terminate destination – that of devastation of the ISIS threat together with overall stability of the part — through a drive heavily targeted on Islamist ideology together with centered upon psychological operations.
This Islamic State evolved out of Al Qaeda inward Iraq, a Sunni Islamist terror organization. ISIS represents a politico-religious ideology based on the seventh century Islamic Caliphate that is antithetical to Western values together with ideals together with opposes all Muslims who attain non percentage its sentiment of Islam. The organization’s infrastructure or Dawa seeks the conversion of non-Muslims together with to instill Islamist views inward all Muslims. ISIS is a global insurgency promoting subversion from inside inward which Sharia police replaces political institutions. It utilizes social media to incite global back upward for operations together with mujahideen recruitment. By 2014, at to the lowest degree lx militant Islamist groups had pledged allegiance to or back upward for the Islamic State. Since that time, a serial of attacks throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, together with the the States demonstrated ISIS’s global accomplish every bit good every bit its mightiness to attract a worldwide period of time of recruits. Unlike Al Qaeda, which primarily stressed a global virtual network together with the spectacular terror attack, ISIS initially captured together with held territory inward Republic of Iraq together with Syria, functioning every bit a province every bit good every bit an Islamist terror network. In June 15, 2014, Operation Inherent Resolve began state of war machine intervention against ISIS inward Republic of Iraq together with Syria. In 2018, the regional caliphate inward Republic of Iraq together with Syrian Arab Republic is all but destroyed past times the the States together with coalition partners.
ISIS’s success at establishing its transnational arrangement came past times demonstrating an mightiness to larn together with concur territory patch simultaneously spreading the concept of the global caliphate. It undermined competitors, attracted sympathizers, together with grew inward regions that were ungovernable past times states. These areas include non only Republic of Iraq together with Syrian Arab Republic but also Yemen, regions of Saudi Arabia, Libya, together with Nigeria, where Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic State together with renamed itself the Islamic State’s West African Province. In 2016, terrorism specialist Rohan Gunaratna maintained that every bit ISIS loses territory inward Republic of Iraq together with Syria, it volition hold to expand inward Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, together with SE Asia together with volition eventually endeavour a spectacular terror human activity utilizing its unusual fighters. The 2015 Paris attacks demonstrated the ISIS/local nexus together with the capability to send out such an attack.
Similarly, US Director of National Intelligence Dan R Coats maintains amongst the loss of territory, the ISIS threat inward 2018is that the arrangement volition regroup inward a long-term insurgency to reestablish itself inward the part patch giving priority to transnational terror attacks together with global interconnection. This threat includes habitation province attacks carried out past times ISIS sympathizers. Since 2016, ISIS has published xiii magazines inward languages including English, German, French, together with Standard Arabic together with released videos promoting jihad. The August 2017 assail inward Kingdom of Spain was detailed inward the ISIS magazine Rumiyah, which also called for “all-out war” against the West. EUROPOL also recognizes the long-term safety challenge from the increased threat of assail inward European states every bit unusual fighters homecoming habitation or infiltrate states every bit territory is lost inward Republic of Iraq together with Syria.
Proposed Resolutions
The 2017 NSS highlights a successful Blue Planet drive inward Syrian Arab Republic together with Republic of Iraq inward which much of the territory captured past times ISIS had been retaken together with the physical caliphate had been destroyed. According to the sometime Deputy Assistant to President Trump, Sebastian Gorka, moving from the Obama strategy of attrition to the Trump strategy of annihilation resulted inward state of war machine success on the ground. This involved the setting of grand strategy together with policy at the NSC together with DOD levels patch leaving house operations to the commanders inward the fields every bit good every bit calling for a Muslim/Arab partnership amongst the US to run across the ongoing threat. Still, others see the Trump strategy every bit only an amplification of the Obama strategy. Analyst Phillip Lohaus testified earlier Congress that despite successes sure enough elements of the Trump strategy rest similar to Obama’s strategy, including especial forces direct activity missions, airstrikes, together with the utilisation of drones. The occupation remains that at that topographic point is all the same no conception for a post-Islamic State inward either Republic of Iraq or Syria: if American interest is reduced besides shortly the Islamic State could reemerge.
In rightfully focusing on ideology, Ayaan Hirsi Ali argues that Obama’s policy of “countering vehement extremism” failed to address the underlying threat that produces the violence. She is correct, every bit focusing on the tactic ignores the strategical underpinnings inherent inward the threat, namely that of radical Islamism. She argues that the Trump Administration took a corporation footstep past times identifying the enemy. However, the focus of US strategy must non live on solely on violence but must drib dead direct to targeting the spread of ideology. Trump’s hope to live on a friend to moderate Muslim reformers together with to covert those entering the US for radical Islamist ideology is a start, but a amount policy must live on developed that targets how Islamist ideology is spread. This volition require a careful residual betwixt rights together with safety inward a democratic Republic. It volition also involve an agreement of the psychology surrounding the Islamist movement together with those who seek to bring together it.
Similarly, inward moving beyond the focus on violence, Gunaratna called for a amount appointment of a four-dimensional threat composed of the ISIS marrow inward Syrian Arab Republic together with Iraq, the ISIS branches, the global ISIS infiltration, together with ISIS online.In short, ISIS loss of territory does non equate to victory against ISIS due to the mightiness of the arrangement to effectively displace from i vogue of conflict to another: from a territorial-based functioning to a decentralized global vogue of recruitment together with attack. It is because of the nature of the threat posed past times ISIS that analyst Michael Pregent testified earlier Congress that from a tactical together with operational standpoint what is needed beyond the taking of ISIS territory is for US forces to partner amongst local Sunni forces that tin concur territory patch US Special Operations Forces bear kill together with capture operations. Strategically, the US must piece of work toward reconciliation inward Republic of Iraq together with Syrian Arab Republic every bit good every bit the dismantling of the militia. However, Pregent fears this volition non laissez passer on off due to Russian together with Iranian actions inward the area. Thus, ISIS activity volition rest a recurring problem.
New Recommendations
Countering the Islamic State requires at its pump a psychological drive targeting Republic of Iraq together with Syrian Arab Republic together with ISIS threats to the the States together with Europe together with regions throughout the world.The occupation organisation nigh the creation of a mightiness vacuum past times premature withdrawal of US forces is a legitimate issue. President Trump of late indicated the the States would line out of Syrian Arab Republic “soon” together with is considering his options, although the recent Syrian chemic assail inward Douma volition homecoming that prospect moot inward the curt term. Whether Trump’s statements are component subdivision of diplomatic maneuvering to pressure level other countries inward the part together with inward Europe to accept on to a greater extent than of the burden remains to live on seen. However, the the States vacating the expanse is non a feasible option, every bit the Islamic State volition endeavour to reestablish the regional caliphate together with Islamic Republic of Iran volition probable essay to seek a permanent state of war machine base of operations inward Syria, potentially backed past times the Russians. The political integrity of Republic of Iraq is necessary to counter Islamic Republic of Iran together with its Shia cast of Islamist militancy.
A drive targeting ISIS infiltration into the the States every bit good every bit other host countries is also required. Expect an expansion of regional together with global ISIS operations every bit operatives endeavour to infiltrate communities to send out attacks together with inspire home-grown terrorist sympathizers. The non-radical Muslim communities of all countries should live on targeted every bit allies against potential assail from extremist ideology.
Instead of Syrian withdrawal, state of war machine operations of seizing together with belongings territory should hold together with a no-fly zone should live on established. Operation Inherent Resolve must shift its primary focus to i of psychological operations. The combined Joint Inter Agency Task Force amongst US state of war machine command together with operational command over all assets is critical because it allows for organizational command together with the mixing of elements from CIA, State Department, together with the military. Special operations forces inward Syrian Arab Republic together with Republic of Iraq include Special Forces (Delta together with Seal Team 6), Psychological Operations, together with Civil Affairs units. The Psychological Operations focus volition live on on countering ISIS propaganda patch Civil Affairs engages inward national assistance to improve living weather condition for the people on the Blue Planet then that they are willing to piece of work amongst Special Forces together with are susceptible to PSYOP. In general, at that topographic point are iii groups of Muslims acquaint for target operations: the Islamists loyal to ISIS who must live on isolated together with destroyed, the Reformers who should live on backed past times US together with coalition partners, together with the vast bulk of Muslims who are non Islamists together with whose “hearts together with minds” the coalition seeks to win over.
The Hearts together with Minds of the Persuadable
The psychological constituent inside the the States together with Europe against ISIS remains the centerpiece of operations utilizing assets across the board. In the US, the subdivision of Homeland Security becomes the Pb agency amongst of import agencies such every bit FBI together with ATF working every bit component subdivision of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. As psychological operations are illegal inside the US, the focus inside the US is on world information. In Europe, the State Department volition live on the primary role instrumentalist inward negotiation amongst host countries, amongst the National Security Council managing the effort. CIA is available for secret operations every bit needed. Specifically, inward either the US or Europe, grouping identities volition live on either undermined or reinforced inward those hostile together with friendly groups respectively.
Host province populations volition live on mobilized to back upward Muslim reformist groups together with the moderate majority, establishing intergroup linkages for possible assimilation into the population. Group together with social identities of Muslims volition live on targeted, reinforcing those identities which bolster reformist Muslims together with isolating those which reinforce radical Islamism. Given that Middle Eastern cultural together with religious identity is a crucial constituent of worldview together with that ISIS is a political religious ideology, targeting those social bonds that are vulnerable to ISIS propaganda together with recruitment is a key operational element. The destination is assimilation of the moderate bulk who are persuadable away from radicalization together with to interruption potential grouping fusion amongst radical Islamists earlier it occurs. Preventing the radicalization of moderate Muslims past times Islamists is the preferred route, every bit de-fusion from a grouping is a hard process, together with volition furnish a possible foundation for improve futurity appointment amongst Western powers.
References
Alexander, Michele G., Shana Levin together with P.J. Henry. 2005 “Image Theory, Social Identity,
SocialDominance: Structural Characteristics together with Individual Motives Underlying
InternationalImages.” Political Psychology, 26, no. 1: 27-45.
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi. 2017.The Challenge of Dawa Political Islam As Ideology together with How to Counter
It.Stanford University: Hoover Institution Press.
Coats, Dan R. Statement for Record. Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence
Community. Feb 13, 2018.
statement-for-the-record-worldwide-threat-assessment-of-the-us-intelligence-community
Europol. Changes inward Modus Operandi of Islamic State (IS) Revisited. The Hague. November
operandi-of-islamic-state-revisited
Gorka, Dr. S. Battlefield Successes together with Challenges: Recent Efforts to Win the War Against ISIS.
January 17, 2018. House Committee on Oversight together with Government Reform
Subcommittee on National Security.
Griffin, Bryan. 2016. Encyclopedia of Militant Islam. New York: London Center for Policy
Research.
Gunaratna, Rohan. 2016. “Global Terrorism inward 2016.”Revista UNSCI/UNSCIJournal40
(Enero/January):133-138.
Holland, Steve. March 30, 2018. “Trump Tells Advisors He Wants US Out Of Syria.” Reuters.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-syria/trump-tells-advisers-he-wants-u-s-out-of-syria-senior-officials-idUSKBN1H61J0
Lohaus, Phillip. Jan 17, 2017. Moving the Needle From Degradation to Defeat Aligning
Ends, Ways, together with Means inward the Fight Against the Islamic State.America
Enterprise Institute.
National Security Strategy of the United States. Dec 2017. The White House.
Pregent, Michael. Wednesday, Jan 17, 2018. “Battlefield Successes together with Challenges: Recent
Efforts to Win the War Against ISIS.” US House of Representatives Committee on
Oversight together with Government Reform’sSubcommittee on National Security.
17-NS-ISIS.pdf
State of New Jersey. Oct 2, 2017. ISIS Poised for Attacks inward Europe together with Australia.
Australia
Swann, William B. Jr., Jolanda Jetten, Angel Gomez, Harvey Whitehouse together with Brock Bastian.
“When Group Membership Gets Personal: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Theory of Identity Fusion.”
PsychologicalReview12, no.3: 441-456.
Buat lebih berguna, kongsi:
