A fighter with the Kurdish People's Protection Units fires an anti-aircraft weapon at ISIS forces in Syria. Roti Said / Reuters
The Islamic State has made enemies of most of the world. So how is it still winning?
Nearly two millennia ago, the Romans built the Arch of Triumph in Palmyra, Syria. According to Picturesque Palestine, Sinai, and Egypt, published in 1881, “The wonder in these ancient ruins is not that so much has fallen, but that anything remains.” Last week, ISIS blew the Arch of Triumph, which the group considers idolatrous, to pieces. Such acts of aggression and barbarism have mobilized a vast enemy coalition, which includes almost every regional power and virtually every great power (and notably the United States, often compared to the Roman Empire in its hegemonic strength). Yet, incredibly, this alliance seems incapable of rolling back the Islamic State. How can a group of insurgents declare war on humanity—and win?
One of the basic principles of military strategy is that the attacker needs preponderant force to win. “It is the rule in war,” wrote Sun Tzu in The Art of War, “if our forces are ten to the enemy’s one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army into two. If equally matched, we can offer battle; if slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy; if quite unequal in every way, we can flee from him.”
WNU Editor: A sobering essay on why the Islamic State is winning .... and one that I am 100% in agreement with. read it all.
9 comments:
Because the west is obviously doing token airstrikes 5 here 2 there, what a joke howabout 200 in a day?
Thank god putin has a idea of what a military campaign is.Thank obama for this mess , he had his chance ti end this when syria crossed his chemical red line.
fazman,
"The reason, the president added, “that we did not just start taking a bunch of airstrikes all across Iraq as soon as ISIL came in was because that would have taken the pressure off of [Prime Minister Nuri Kamal] al-Maliki."
In otherwords, the U.S. Aministration willingly allowed ISIS to erupt out of Syria, kill and brutalize tens of thousands of Iraqi's, Syrians and Kurds,
All the rapes, executions, throat slittings, burning alive,
When they could have done something,
Just to make Iraqi PM resign so Abadi could replace him.
http://updatenewsavailable.blogspot.com/
I predict that a military operation executed by the German army of the 1940s.well clear that part of world in a couple weeks ,with no prisoners takeing.
there is no competent military force engaged against IS, and they are the most fanatical of jihadis. they will continue to win until they meet one.
^^^agreed, everyone is just making token gestures using miniscule amounts of their military power.
Either wage war on the jihadists ( even wtf is a miderate rebel group?, moderate in opposition then fanatical once in power )
Or get the hell out and let 8t implode.
Yep either wage total war on them or admit it is not in your national intrest and get out.
"Such acts of aggression and barbarism" correcting another act of aggression and barbarism from Roman days?
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