Can the New U.S. Strategy Combat Terrorist Threats?

Islamic State terrorism is a major factor for the increasing tension between NATO nations and Russia, which is supported by its allies such as China and Iran.

By Rakesh Raman

After a slew of unsuccessful U.S. moves to combat Islamic State terrorism, the U.S. President Barack Obama outlined a new strategy Monday with the hope that it will work.

A White House communique stated that President Obama has a strategy to defeat ISIL (or ISIS), fight terrorism, and protect the homeland.

How? To answer the question ‘how,’ the statement has presented an array of vague text charts that fail to explain the effectiveness of Obama strategy.

Now, there is a growing concern in the U.S. and other top nations which are fighting against ISIS that their strategies have largely failed to defeat the terrorist organization.

[ Can Germany Help Coalition Defeat ISIS? No Way. ]

The Republican National Committee (RNC), for example, has released a new web video entitled ‘Can Leaders Like These Keep Us Safe?’ to criticize President Obama and his policies to counter ISIS’ threat.

Moreover, ISIS is a major factor for the increasing tension between NATO nations and Russia, which is supported by its allies such as China and Iran, as both sides are hell-bent to dominate the oil-rich Middle East region.

[ NATO Supports Turkey for Shooting Down Russian Warplane ]

What Is Islamic State?

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Islamic State (IS) is a modern militant organization, which uses digital media effectively to deliver its messages and for new recruitments of militants.

With a strong force of more than 30,000 fighters under its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS is attacking different nations with the aim to set up a large Islamic State called the Caliphate or an independent country.

[ Top Locations from Where Twitter Users Support ISIS Terrorists ]

Currently, ISIS holds a state which is at least equivalent to the geographical area of the U.K. But it has already planned to move beyond Iraq and Syria in order to expand its regime. As its next target is Europe, it has started attacking top European countries including France and Russia.

Recently, ISIS claimed responsibility for the Nov. 13 Paris attacks in which 132 people died. Earlier, when the Russian airstrikes hit ISIS in Syria, the ISIS militants succeeded in downing a Russian passenger plane in retaliation, resulting in the deaths of 224 passengers.

“The terrorist group known as ISIL was formerly an al Qaeda’s affiliate in Iraq. Though it calls itself the “Islamic State,” it is neither Islamic nor a state. It is a terrorist organization that has perverted a religion into a dangerous ideology,” according to the White House statement.

[ Is Islam the Common Enemy of All Religions? ]

It further says that ISIL terrorists have committed countless barbaric atrocities. “ISIL’s strategy relies on us giving into fear, abandoning our values, and allowing ourselves to be drawn into a long and costly ground war. They know if we occupy foreign lands, they can maintain insurgencies for years that will claim the lives of thousands of our troops, drain our resources, and give them leverage to draw new recruits.”

[ Has Obama Failed in the Fight Against ISIS Terrorism? ]

According to the statement issued Monday, a successful strategy to counter ISIL and the terrorist threat must reflect an understanding of how ISIL functions and the most effective means to dismantle and destroy its operation.

The President is pursuing a comprehensive strategy that draws on every aspect of American power, the White House stated.

By Rakesh Raman, the managing editor of RMN Company

You also can read: More Articles by the RMN Editor, Rakesh Raman

Photo / Video courtesy: White House