Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 26, 2014

No, Containing ISIL Is Not “Good Enough” -- Brad Taylor, War On The Rocks

Is the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) contained? And would that be good enough? Dr. Christopher Bolan of the U.S. Army War College seems to think so. He argued as much recently here at War on the Rocks. While Bolan’s line of reasoning is appealing to many Americans who are tired of costly foreign entanglements, both parts of his argument fall apart when subjected to scrutiny.

ISIL is not contained. Bolan states that approximately 30,000 ISIL fighters, armed with little more than rifles, face a formidable array of weaponry from the Iraqi military, including main battle tanks, air forces, and artillery, and that they’re surrounded by enemies on all sides (a point also made by WOTR’s Daveed Gartenstein-Ross). While on paper this is persuasive, it’s also useful to remember that just two years ago, with a force of slightly more than 3,000 fighters, ISIL took on the formidable array of weaponry from Syria’s President Assad. The result? ISIL not only survived, but thrived, now controlling terrain the size of the United Kingdom, which spans both Iraq and Syria, and encompasses 60% of Syria’s oil production.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 26, 2014

Is Syria a Pay-to-Play Conflict? -- Daniel Altman, Foreign Policy

Attacks on Islamic State: Another long war -- The Economist

Syrian opposition member has little faith in airstrikes on IS -- Al-Monitor

The fight against the Islamic State must include Iran -- Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post

If Islamic State is to be defeated, it must be attacked in both Syria and Iraq -- James Forsyth, Spectator

Analysis: Syrian sentiments vary as coalition begins military campaign -- Edward Dark, Middle East Eye

China and the ISIS Threat -- Gary Sands, The Diplomat

Emerging outcomes of Israel’s Gaza war -- As’ad Abdul Rahman, Special to Gulf News

Exclusive: PKK commander threatens to resume war against Turkey -- Al-Monitor

Nile Water Wars? -- Robert Kaplan, Stratfor

Is Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau alive or dead? Yes. -- Ryan Lenora Brown, CSM

Afghanistan’s Failed Transformation -- Ahmed Rashid, NYT

Russia's new law: the beginning of the end for Facebook and Twitter? -- Fred Weir, CSM

The manual that chillingly foreshadows the Islamic State -- David Ignatius, Washington Post

What makes a terrorist? -- Simon Allison, The Guardian