Do You Agree with Defense Secretary Ash Carter's 'Secret Sauce' Needed to Beat ISIS?

2015-08-16T13:50:11-04:00

Do You Agree with Defense Secretary Ash Carter's 'Secret Sauce' Needed to Beat ISIS?

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/defense-secretary-ash-carter-reveals-secret-sauce-needed-beat-isis-n397711

"We're trying to get a defeat that sticks," he told a group of several dozen troops. "And that can be delivered only by the people that live here," adding, "that's the secret sauce."

RP Nation what do you think?

Defense Chief Reveals 'Secret Sauce' Needed to Beat ISIS

IRBIL, Iraq — Defense Secretary Ash Carter held talks Friday with Iraqi Kurdish leaders in their regional capital of Irbil, seeking insights to t

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 16 at 2015 1:57 PM

2015-08-16T13:57:42-04:00

I agree. Victory from the air will only be temporary. We must involve the Nationals on the ground in order to defeat ISIS. We must be careful though that when ISIS is removed a vacuum is not created which allows yet another radical group to fill it's place.

Response by Maj William Gambrell made Aug 16 at 2015 2:08 PM

2015-08-16T14:08:24-04:00

I think we need to go back to the Reagan's deterrent strategy. Let's find a small isolated ISIS camp and hit it with a small tactical Nuke. Let the world know we have these things and we will use them.

This isn't just about ISIS, the world thinks we are weak.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 16 at 2015 2:30 PM

2015-08-16T14:30:36-04:00

It's a way. It's not necessarily the way. Certainly not the only way.

I favor putting 4 US divisions on line, tasking the Iraqi Army and the Peshmerga with rear area security, and moving slowly and deliberately through the infested region, bypassing nothing until we get to the Mediterranean. Perhaps an operational pause at what was the Syrian border to last until someone kills off Assad....

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Aug 16 at 2015 2:41 PM

2015-08-16T14:41:58-04:00

No reason not to, look at all the successes to date. Haaretz, 8/16/2015. Coordinated or Not, Attacks Show ISIS's Growing. The ultra-radical group, which has claimed direct responsibility for the Kuwait attack, clearly now poses a threat far beyond its heartland in Syria and Iraq.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 16 at 2015 4:42 PM

2015-08-16T16:42:14-04:00

I do agree. We cannot achieve a lasting peace in an area that we are foreign to unless we want to stay there forever.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Aug 16 at 2015 7:07 PM

2015-08-16T19:07:35-04:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs, I am glad to learn that Defense Secretary Ash Carter recently held talks Friday with Iraqi Kurdish leaders. The peshmerga have been steadfast allies of the USA since well prior to OIF. They helped provide eyes and ears on the ground when after Desert Storm the northern no-fly zone was established over northern Iraq.
Replicating the success of the peshmerga in Iraqi security forces is another matter indeed. Kurds are a proud and distinct people despite what Turkey, Iraq and Iran would have the rest of the world believe. The Iraqi security forces would need to be cleansed [of Iranian and Saddam loyalty] and retrained significantly before they could achieve incremental success.
Hopefully we are not speaking out of both sides of our mouth. On the one hand SECDEF carter is praising Kurdish peshmerga which is heavily interested in establish a Kurdistan where the Kurds can live in relative security and peace and on the other hand we recently established a relationship with Turkey to launch airstrikes against ISIS targets from Turkey which is staunchly opposed to the establishment of a Kurdistan.
I have added a few editorial comments in brackets below as usual :-)
"Defense Secretary Ash Carter held talks Friday with Iraqi Kurdish leaders in their regional capital of Irbil, seeking insights to their military successes against ISIS. [Good news]
Afterward he told U.S. and coalition troops that the Kurdish armed forces, known as the peshmerga, are "the model of what we are trying to achieve" with a strategy of enabling capable and motivated local forces in northern and western Iraq to take the ground combat lead. [Good news]
He said U.S. ground and air forces could defeat ISIS on their own, but the success would not last.
"We're trying to get a defeat that sticks," he told a group of several dozen troops. "And that can be delivered only by the people that live here," adding, "that's the secret sauce." [Secret sauce sounds like a fast food gimmick and I suspect that is exactly what is it. It will be very difficult to build Iraqi capabilities and willpower similar to the peshmerga]
...
In Irbil, Carter is meeting with Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish regional government, and other Kurdish government and military officials. The U.S. Is helping train and equip Kurdish armed forces in battles against Islamic State fighters.
The Kurdish forces, generally more experienced and more effective on the battlefield than their counterparts in the Iraqi army, have played a vital role in containing ISIS in northeastern Iraq...."

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 16 at 2015 7:26 PM

2015-08-16T19:26:39-04:00

Great question COL Mikel J. Burroughs. It is my humble opinion that the Defense Secretary is on to something. Although, I don't think thee is an all powerful "secret sauce," I do believe that us defeating ISIS will only buy the region time. Time for another group to form and gain power and once again challenge the region. In order for Iraq or any other country in the region to stand on its own and be successful in quelling these types of threats they need a national identity, strong leadership, and the will to fight. Us simply defeating the current threat will only leave a gap for another threat to step up. The people currently being oppressed need to rise up and rally to defeat ISIS.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 16 at 2015 7:59 PM

2015-08-16T19:59:16-04:00

The logic is flawed as only parts of Iraq are considered local areas for the Kurds. Does Iraq want the Kurds to take point on fighting ISIS in Iraq? Do the Kurds want this mission?

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Aug 16 at 2015 8:42 PM

2015-08-16T20:42:30-04:00

I agree with that sentiment. Nothing we do over there can be sustained over time without the people of that region being willing to keep their own peace.

Response by COL Ted Mc made Aug 17 at 2015 2:00 AM

2015-08-17T02:00:52-04:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs - Mikel; NO "solution" that the locals HAVEN'T "bought into and taken ownership of" is going to work.

The only thing that is surprising about the article is that the Defence Secretary thinks that this fact is a "secret".

Believe me, there are people out there in the Middle East who are asking "Where is Saddam Hussein when we need him?". (And blaming the US for the fact that he isn't around any longer.)

Response by PO2 Mark Saffell made Aug 17 at 2015 6:59 AM

2015-08-17T06:59:29-04:00

I hold Obama responsible for the way ISIS has grown and spread and feel he has handed Iran control of the region. I believe he has green lighted Iran to have Nuc's and he has left a mess that will cost American lives to go in and fix. The next President will spend a fortune in American tax dollars and lives to repair the damage this President has caused.

Response by MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 17 at 2015 9:29 AM

2015-08-17T09:29:40-04:00

The Kurds, or a "Kurd Like" force, might be a "secret sauce" from a military perspective, but defeating ISIS is a political goal supported by military action. If we've learned nothing from the last decade or so, securing the victory requires the establishment of a government to fill the power gap. In the Middle East, we haven't been particularly adept at that. I'd be interested in knowing how that part of the strategy is shaping up.

Response by SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS made Aug 17 at 2015 10:00 AM

2015-08-17T10:00:41-04:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs Sir, I served in Iraq during the surge and saw the amount of rocket attacks drop, the IED attacks drop, and the general level of insurgency drop. To me, the "Secret Sauce" is maintaining appropriate troop levels, providing realistic training to a vetted local national military, and providing embedded forces to ensure the training provided equates to the tactics used.

When we pulled out, the fuel, oxygen, and heat for ISIS was provided by the lack of preparedness of the host nations forces, lack of support from the US and Coalition Forces, and no one left to hold ISIS at bay.

As much as I would hate to see another Soldier, Sailor, Airmen, or Marine lose his or her life in the "long war" it seems a prudent and even responsible position to finish what we start.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Aug 17 at 2015 11:01 AM

2015-08-17T11:01:44-04:00

He's absolutely correct. We can take a country, but we're going to give it back. Someone needs to be there to hold it together when we leave. The Iraqi government clearly cannot. Maybe the Kurds can.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Aug 17 at 2015 11:26 AM

2015-08-17T11:26:51-04:00

Do I agree with Secretary Carter...we cannot win the battle with ISIS from the air, he is wrong their. I think he is right the Kurds are generally more experienced and more effective than the Iraqi Army. I do not think it is helpful routing supplies to the Kurds through the Iraqis...why not just send those supplies directly to the black market or ISIS?
If and when we get serious on this, we will get behind the Peshmerga. The Peshmerga have been their for us since the first Gulf War...why? We have let them down so many times that it is disgusting but they stick with us...maybe they see something in us that we are missing...but we should jump in with the Kurds with both feet. To include air defense weapons to keep the Turks from attacking the Kurds!

Response by SSG Michael Scott made Aug 25 at 2015 12:17 PM

2015-08-25T12:17:23-04:00

No, because we, the American people do not have a good adminstration on how to deal with Terrorists. Airstrikes, please, that will only be put a dent in trying to defeat this evil. What really gets to me, is of all of the Christians and Nazarenes who are being terminated for what he/she believes in.
To really get the UN's attention and other countries. America, has done it before back in WWII, It may be time to use the nuke, because, when that happened, America did not have a problem with that country anymore. That is somethting to think about.

Response by PO2 Corey Ferretti made Aug 25 at 2015 4:23 PM

2015-08-25T16:23:21-04:00

Yes in a sence this is true. We could defeat them in battle with out the local help. But to defeat them and win we need the help of the local population. If they are content with ISIS because of fear then they will always have a hold there. But of they want to win and start to fight back then ISIS no longer has a grip on the population.

Response by PO2 Corey Ferretti made Aug 25 at 2015 4:26 PM

2015-08-25T16:26:11-04:00

Yes because with out the help of locals how can we win. We can wage all the war we want on ISIS but I'd they have the fear of the local population then they will have control of the locals. Once they. Are done with the way they are treated and stand up will they start to beat ISIS.

Response by SSG Mike Angelo made Aug 25 at 2015 8:46 PM

2015-08-25T20:46:58-04:00

I really like that philosophy, whereas, national pride has a rallying point to defeat ISIS. It is better for all parties that in-country nationals fight their own battles. It may take longer and require more support for training and equipment, however, let them fight.. let them win is better mantra.

Response by SPC Vicky King made Aug 26 at 2015 3:09 AM

2015-08-26T03:09:35-04:00

No, I don't agree with it. We tried that and it didn't work. Friendly fire and unfriendly infiltration of police forces and military personnel effectively worked against success. Our failure came from the top down. It was an elementary mistake of refusing to name the enemy. We now know that Islam is Islam. There is no radical or moderate separation, only the faithful muslim and the not so faithful muslim. Until leadership acknowledges that, even our families here at home are doomed to be chum in the water.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 26 at 2015 4:13 PM

2015-08-26T16:13:02-04:00

Germany. Japan. ISIS is nothing compared to the SS or Imperial Japanese Army. The bombs did not end the war - they simply stopped the fighting. The Marshall Plan ended the wars - and we did not have to stay forever, but we did stay for 50 years.
We need to conduct a proper counter insurgency backed up by adequate civil affairs and USAID.
We have done it before and, yes, I think congress and the administration will support it. It is just a matter of explaining the benefits properly.

Response by PV2 Glen Lewis made Aug 26 at 2015 7:31 PM

2015-08-26T19:31:12-04:00

Unless you obliterate the entire territory and population that is under ISIS ' control I don't see how anyone could think otherwise.

Response by SFC Dave Parker made Aug 27 at 2015 2:23 PM

2015-08-27T14:23:16-04:00

We should bring hell fire and damnation to any Muslim extremist group that terrorizes anybody, and we should be doing this in cooperation with other countries like Russia, UK, The Philippines, etc., that the extremists have targeted. This needs to be a worldwide crusade to end their reign of terror, and end it for good.

We need to stop being afraid of offending any special interest group in this endeavor. The extremists aren't afraid of offending anybody.

We have space-based and airborne technologies that will allow us to track and destroy targets on the ground without them knowing what happened.

We need to stop publicizing our tactics as it only allows them to adapt to and evade our efforts. We need to be unpredictable and strike with irresistible force.

Response by SPC George Rudenko made Aug 28 at 2015 2:15 AM

2015-08-28T02:15:08-04:00

I do. Conventional and USA brand unconventional warfare isn't working. Try as hard as you may, a hammer can't fix appendicitis.

Response by PVT Gary LeBlanc made Sep 2 at 2015 2:57 PM

2015-09-02T14:57:55-04:00

I'm not sure the people there have the will & courage to fight isis WITHOUT any support from the US

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 8 at 2015 3:33 PM

2015-09-08T15:33:57-04:00

Very myopic thinking.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 8 at 2015 4:14 PM

2015-09-08T16:14:23-04:00

If applied the Ends, Ways, Means test. END= Defeating many thousands of ISIS in an urban environment. WAYS= Coordinated light infantry, mechanized forces, and US airpower. MEANS= US airpower and locals. LOCALS????????????????????? WTF do we get a local army with equipment and vehicles large enough to take on ISIS?