US Policy Towards ISIL

Authors

  • Author

  • Harith Hasan جامعة هارفرد

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12816/0017215

Keywords:

Lindsey Graham, John McCain, US Policy, Syria, ISIL

Abstract

In September 2014, US President Barack Obama announced a “comprehensive strategy” to degrade and destroy ISIL. Obama stated, “I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.” But despite this announcement, questions over the nature, goals, and instruments of US policy towards ISIL still continue to be asked in the context of a debate between those who think that the US is not doing enough to take on ISIL and those who think it would be better for the US not to expand its military involvement in the conflict. This debate has been influenced by internal American political polarizations in the form of the critical position taken by leading Republicans such as Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who view the Obama policy as weak, and Middle Eastern regional rivalries over the position towards ISIL and the nature of the political choices that must frame the confrontation with it.

Author Biography

  • Harith Hasan, جامعة هارفرد
    باحث وأكاديمي عراقي متخصص بالعلوم السياسية وزميل في جامعة هارفرد.

References

  1. The National Security Strategy, 2015, at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ sites/default/files/docs/2015_national_security_strategy.pdf
  2. Samantha Power, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide , (New York: Basic Books, 2002).
  3. Jessica Stern, "Obama and Terrorism: Like it or not, the war goes on," Foreign Affairs , September/October 2015, at: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ articles/obama-and-terrorism
  4. Matthew Levitt, "While still risky, military intervention against ISIS may be the only good option for President Obama," Daily News , 4 September 2014, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/risky-military-intervention- at: isis-option-article-1.1927277
  5. Michael Knights, "The Long Haul: Rebooting U.S. Security Cooperation in Iraq," Washington Institute for Near East Studies , January 2015, at: http:// www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-long-haul-rebooting- u.s.-security-cooperation-in-iraq
  6. Charless Lister, "A Long Way from Success: Assessing the War on the Islamic State," Perspectives on Terrorism , 9(4), 2015, pp3-13.
  7. Gregory Cause, "ISIS and the New Middle East Cold War," Brookings , 25 August 2014, at: http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2014/08/25- isis-new-middle-east-cold-war - Michael M. Gunter, "Iraq, Syria, ISIS and the Kurds: Geostrategic Concerns for the U.S. and Turkey," Middle East Policy , 22(1), pp.102-111.
  8. طَرح هذا الخيار أحد المتخصصين بالعلوم السياسية في ندوة عقدتها مؤسسة راند في ١ حزيران/يونيو ٥١٠٢ وشارك فيها الباحث.
  9. Adam Nagourney, "Jeb Bush Blames Hillary Clinton and Obama for Iraq's Declibe," The New York Times , 11 August 2015, at: http://www.nytimes. com/2015/08/12/us/politics/jeb-bush-blames-us-policies-for-isis-rise.html?_r=0
  10. Marck Lynch, "Rightsizing U.S. Role," Foreign Affairs , September/ October 2015, at: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/ obama-and-middle-east
  11. Thomas Carothers, "Why is the United States Shortchanging its Commitment to Democracy," The Washington Post , 22 December 2014, at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/falling-usaid-spending-shows- a-lack-of-commitment-to-fostering-democracy/2014/12/22/86b72d58-89f4- 11e4-a085-34e9b9f09a58_story.html
  12. Drew Desilver, "U.S. spends over $16 billion annually on counter- terrorism," PewResearch Center , 11 September 2013, at: http://www. pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/11/u-s-spends-over-16-billion-annually- on-counter-terrorism/
  13. Audrey Kurth Cronin, "ISIS Is Not a Terrorist Group: Why Counterterrorism Won't Stop the Latest Jihadist Threat," Foreign Affairs , March/April 2015.
  14. Fred Kaplan, "The End of the Age of Petraeus: The Rise and Fall of Counterinsurgency," Foreign Affairs , January/February 2013, at: https://www. foreignaffairs.com/articles/afghanistan/2013-01-01/end-age-petraeus - Michael R. Gordon, "Retired Gen. John R. Allen in Line to Lead Effort vs. ISIS , " The New York Times, 11 September 2014, at: http://www.nytimes. com/2014/09/12/us/retired-general-is-picked-to-lead-effort-vs-isis.html?_
  15. Emma Sky & Harith Al-Qarawee, "Iraqi Sunnistan: Why Separatism could rip the Country Apart-Again," Foreign Affairs , 23 January 2013, at: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/iraq/2013-01-23/iraqi-sunnistan; Toby Dodge, Iraq: From War to New Authoritarianism (London: The International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2012). r=0
  16. Helene Cooper, Mark Landler & Alissa J. Rubinaug, "Obama Allows Limited Airstrikes Against ISIS," The New York Times , 7 August 2014, at: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/08/world/middleeast/obama-weighs- military-strikes-to-aid-trapped-iraqis-officials-say.html?_r=0
  17. Christopher M. Blanchard, Carla E. Humud, Kenneth Katzman & Matthew C. Weed, "The "Islamic State" Crisis and U.S. Policy," Congressional Research Service , 11 June 2015, at: http://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R43612.pdf.
  18. The White House, "FACT SHEET: The White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism," 18 February 2015, at: https://www. whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/02/18/fact-sheet-white-house- summit-countering-violent-extremism.
  19. Blanchard, Humud, Katzman & Weed.
  20. Andrew J, Tabler,"The New Great Game: How Regional Powers are Carving Up Syria," Foreign Affairs , 11 August 2015, at: https://www. foreignaffairs.com/articles/syria/2015-08-11/new-great-game.
  21. Dan de Luce, "Turkey Enters the War Against the Islamic State," Foreign Policy , 23 July 2015, at: http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/07/23/turkey-enters- the-war-against-the-islamic-state/
  22. Blanchard, Humud, Katzman & Weed.
  23. Brett McGurk, "Statement for the Record: Deputy Assistant Secretary Brett McGurk," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing: Iraq at a Crossroads: Options for U.S. Policy, July 24, 2014, pp. 10-11, at: http:// www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/McGurk%20Testimony%20 072414-Final%20Version%20REVISED.pdf
  24. The White House, "Office of the Press Secretary, Statement by the President on ISIL," 10 September 2014, at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the- press-office/2014/09/10/statement-president-isil-1.
  25. U.S.Department of State, 10 September 2014, at: http://www.state.gov/ secretary/remarks/2014/09/231438.htm
  26. Global Security.org, "New Iraqi National Guard (ING)," 2014, at: http:// www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/ing.htm
  27. Michael Knights & Jabbar Jaafar, "Restoring the Iraqi Army's Pride and Fighting Spirit," AlJazeera , 8 July 2015, at: http://www.aljazeera. com/indepth/opinion/2015/07/restoring-iraqi-army-pride-fighting- spirit-150706075815364.html.
  28. Mohammed A. Salih, "US military aid bills highlight Iraq's deep divisions," AlJazerra , 10 May 2015, at: http://www.aljazeera.com/ news/2015/05/150509084945317.html
  29. Iraq receives F-16 fighter jets from the US," Middle East Monitor , 14 July 2015, at: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/19828- iraq-receives-f-16-fighter-jets-from-the-us
  30. Blanchard, Humud, Katzman & Weed.
  31. U.S. Department of Defense, at: http://www.defense.gov/News/Special- Reports/0814_Inherent-Resolve
  32. Michael R. Gordon & Eric Schmitt, "Iran Secretly Sending Drones and Supplies into Iraq, US Officials Say," New York Times , 25 June 204, at: http:// www.nytimes.com/2014/06/26/world/middleeast/iran-iraq.html.
  33. Which Countries Are Doing What in the ISIS Coalition?," NBC News , 26 September 2014, at: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/ whichcountries-are-doing-what-isis-coalition-n212596.
  34. Helene Cooper, "U.S. Jets Meets Limit as Iraqi Ground Fight Against ISIS Plods On," The New York Times , 12 August 2015, at: http://www.nytimes. com/2015/08/13/us/politics/us-jets-meet-limit-as-iraqi-ground-fight- against-isis-plods-on.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=2
  35. Blanchard, Humud, Katzman & Weed.
  36. Kareem Shaheen, "US-Trained Syrian Rebels Refuse to Fight Al-Qaeda Groups After Kidnapping," The Guardian, 6 August 2015, at: http://www. theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/06/syrian-rebels-nusra-front-al-qaida- kidnapping
  37. US and allies strike ISIL targets in Syria," AlJazeera , 23 September 2014, at: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/09/us-begins- bombing-isil-positions-syria-201492313622252650.html
  38. Dasha Afanasieva, "Al Qaeda in Syria already kidnapped leaders from the US-trained Syrian rebel group," Reuters , 30 July 2015.
  39. Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, "Why America Should Aim To Contain - Rather Than Destroy - ISIS," The World Post , 12 August 2015, at: http:// www.huffingtonpost.com/aymenn-jawad-altamimi/america-contain- isis_b_7965574.html
  40. Clint Watts, "Let Them Rot: The Challenges and Opportunities of Containing rather than Countering the Islamic State," Perspectives on Terrorism 9 (4), 2015.
  41. Michael Eisenstadt, "The War Against ISIL: In Search of a Viable Strategy," Washington Institute for Near East Studies , 15 June 2015, at: http:// www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-war-against-isil-in- search-of-a-viable-strategy
  42. Musings on Iraq, "How Is The War Against The Islamic State Going? 10 Expert Opinions," 19 August 2015, at: http://musingsoniraq.blogspot. com/2015/08/how-is-war-against-islamic-state-going.html
  43. Audrey Kurth Cronian, "ISIS Is Not a Terrorist Group: Why Counterterrorism Won't Stop the Latest Jihadist Threat," Foreign Affairs , March/April 2015, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle- east/2015-02-16/isis-not-terrorist-group
  44. Musings on Iraq.
2Total citations
1From ACRPS journals
1External sources

Citing articles in ACRPS journals (1)

  1. (2017) كيف يرى العرب الولايات المتحدة الأميركية؟ ما بين إرث أوباما والرئاسة الجديدة. Siyasat Arabiya https://doi.org/10.12816/0040879

Citing articles from external sources (1)

  1. مصطفى الغريري, صباح العريض (2024) الارهاب الدولي والامن القومي الامريكي. Kufa Journal of Arts, 1(60), 201 https://doi.org/10.36317/kaj/2023/v1.i57.11446

Sources: Crossref Cited-by, and the references (notes and reference lists) of the Center's own articles

Published

2015-09-01

Usage statistics

35 views 52 downloads

Issue

Section

Studies and Analytical Papers