Posted on Oct 30, 2014
SGT James Elphick
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Our current strategy for defeating ISIS is progressing slowly at best and is rife with a refusal to involve U.S. ground forces. How would you handle the situation? Personally, I believe in a limited mission with light, expeditionary forces we could sweep through the areas controlled by ISIS and root them out. I would employ the GRF Brigade from the 82nd Airborne with support from the II MEF MEU operating in the area utilizing vertical envelopment to fix and destroy ISIS fighters. Combined with Special Forces leading indigenous forces and Rangers and SEALs to conduct precision raids I believe the main effort could be wrapped up in less than 90 days thus avoiding the necessity to get a Use of Force Agreement from Congress.
Posted in these groups: Isis logo ISISStrategy globe 1cfii4y Strategy
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Responses: 6
LTC Yinon Weiss
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Short of going all-in and sending a million ground troops to the Middle East for the next few years, destroying ISIS has to come through smarter means. Since they don't have access to many resources (besides oil and US military equipment that they capture from Iraq), if we isolate and contain them, their own medieval ideology will only weaken them more and more over time. Without outside support, ISIS will eventually collapse. Keeping them contained and isolated, and letting them rot away will eventually allow them to be overtaken by local forces who are tired of their extremist and self-destructive principles. This is at least a coherent strategy that we can execute on, and should therefore be considered.

I would also suggest considering breaking Iraq up into three countries (Shia, Sunni, and Kurd). A Sunni territory government will finally have the incentive to prevent a new ISIS from forming because it would be a direct threat to the Sunni government, unlike the barely patched together government of Iraq today, which is obviously willing to cede large parts of Iraq as long as Baghdad and the Shia territories are protected.
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SGT James Elphick
SGT James Elphick
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LTC Yinon Weiss I have been advocating for breaking up Iraq, just as you describe, for quite some time. Unfortunately most people are adverse to this idea.
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CW5 Desk Officer
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SGT James Elphick, I like your strategy. Small number of U.S. troops - SOF heavy in that small number - go in and take care of business. I think it's going to take a much longer time to defeat ISIS if we don't do something along these lines.
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SPC Sheila Lewis
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Those that support all facets of isis/isil need to go b/c that is how these groups get a foothold...someone lets them in.
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