Escalating military action against IS will be an exercise in futility as it will not make ideology behind it disappear
RAWALPINDI: A coalition of more than 60 nations across the globe has been formed to counter the IS campaign, which is probably the biggest alliance ever since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. The US has been carrying out air strikes against the IS since the end of August. Recently, US President Barack Obama announced that he would send 1,500 troops to battle the IS in parts of Syria and Iraq. The question: how does one address the existential threat of the IS and whether the best way is to purely employ a military solution. The latter can perhaps, curtail but not eliminate the IS threat and may well exacerbate the conflict.
Escalating military action against the IS will be an exercise in futility because it will not make the ideology behind it disappear. An ideology or an organisation can never be destroyed through a military assault alone. A good example of this is al Qaeda, which despite being crippled in Pakistan, still has roots in other countries. This is why America should opt for an alternative means to wipe out the militant group.
The main strength of the IS lies in its access to financial capital and resources, allowing it to recruit fighters, procure weapons, and get active support of locals. First, the oil fields that the IS currently controls should be wrested back, so that this source of financing for the group dries up. The group also has the ability to resupply itself, which is essential for any effective insurgency. Turkey must be forced to crack down on the surge of fighters and weapons across its border with Syria. The group roughly has a militia of about 20,000 fighters and like all insurgencies, it cannot be defeated as long as it has popular local support. The grievances of the Iraqis and the Syrians against their governments are real and, therefore, must be addressed by the governments of the two countries. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Syrians are either refugees in other countries or internally displaced. The inadequacy of food, water and other essential supplies threatens more lives than any bullets. Failing to address these needs fuels further radicalisation. Unless the social, cultural and religious drivers of the insurgencies are properly addressed, such radicalised groups might continue to emerge. American leadership must show the Middle East how a better future can be achieved by means of religious pluralism, political unity and free-market capitalism.
Rafia Mushtaq Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2014.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
