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Must the West attack ISIS in Syria?

Reader comment on item: ISIS' Imminent Demise

Submitted by myth (Germany), Dec 12, 2015 at 05:35

Must the West attack ISIS in Syria? Do I understand Dr Pipes right? The article states that ISIS can be beaten but does not recommend the West to actually attack because Iran's nuclear program sets the priority.

At least that would be my argumentation. I see three reasons for the West to ignore ISIS militarily:

  1. Iran's potential nuclear threat has priority over all other security issues. If the West attacks ISIS it buys Iran time to complete its nuclear programme in the shadow of such operations. Public support will at best endorse either an attack on ISIS or on Iran, but not both.
  2. ISIS operates in Syria and this is the Russian influence zone. Any attack on ISIS by the West allows Russia to direct their fire on other groups. Likewise the western air-strikes on ISIS allow Turkey to attack Kurdish forces rather than ISIS. As both Russia's and Turkey's capacities are quite limtied compared to the US they will and have to make those choices. In other words: Western attacks on ISIS indirectly hurt potential allies in the region.Leave ISIS to Russia and wait!
  3. Attacks on ISIS divert public attention from the threat inside Western countries. I recall that after the Paris attacks the French authorities boasted they had earmarked most suspects "Fiche S". However they obviously did not do anything about them but follow them. Same goes for the San Bernadino bunch, the Boston brothers and on and on. I see no point putting infantry into Syria and let terrorists operate at will and under the protection of the law on Western soil. Germany has crossed the one million mark of refugees in 2016. Germany could and should deport the thousand or so known islamists who have been residents for years. On the balance this would not hurt the overall image of hospitality.
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Daniel Pipes replies:

I do not encourage a Western attack on ISIS. If there is to be a Western attack, it should be on the Iranian nuclear facilities.

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Reader comments (47) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
ISIS, ¿Imminent Demise? [233 words]Guillermo TruebaJan 15, 2016 13:16227675
The recognition of ISIS and its Caliphate [55 words]DavodDec 30, 2015 11:08227368
Not quite [133 words]Yehuda PochDec 15, 2015 08:56227074
Fire and Wood [551 words]Michael SDec 24, 2015 06:18227074
An inaccurate statement [27 words]GeppettoDec 13, 2015 15:35227032
Islam and the world [60 words]arish sahaniDec 12, 2015 11:47226994
Must the West attack ISIS in Syria? [305 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
mythDec 12, 2015 05:35226964
ISIS in not self destructive [178 words]Curtis FreedlandDec 11, 2015 00:58226915
THE END OF ISIS [130 words]SANDRO LOEWEDec 10, 2015 14:47226907
let the US military offer ISIS a compromise [139 words]mythDec 8, 2015 19:45226888
some additional considerations [240 words]Arthur Pitz, Ph.D.Dec 8, 2015 12:58226878
Dabiq [83 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Elisha benAbuyaDec 8, 2015 12:22226877
Dabiq [33 words]Elisha benAbuyaDec 12, 2015 09:58226877
Paris and Sinai [191 words]AlexDec 8, 2015 12:09226875
1Forget about ISIS [74 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
François GravelDec 8, 2015 07:14226869
1ISIS cannot be squashed [605 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Michael SDec 8, 2015 02:58226858
I'm glad we agree; but "crushing" is easier said, than done [287 words]Michael SDec 12, 2015 07:13226858
1ISIS or its clones will take long time before they disappear [252 words]PrashantDec 7, 2015 22:34226855
Now you see me, Now you don't [388 words]P. PiperDec 9, 2015 16:24226855
Prashant, I agree with you entirely! [6 words]Michael SDec 10, 2015 15:29226855
Limited Light at the End of the Daish Tunnel [234 words]M ToveyDec 7, 2015 15:33226852
Squishy bugs. Oh my! [351 words]Michael SDec 10, 2015 17:35226852
Ezekiel 28:12 et sequiter [24 words]M ToveyDec 14, 2015 10:31226852
Things to come [313 words]Michael SDec 17, 2015 10:14226852
Regarding predictable predictions vis-à-vis Erdogan [115 words]FrankzDec 7, 2015 14:28226850
2The end of Daish [66 words]dhimmi no moreDec 7, 2015 13:32226849
1That may be.... [56 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Ib1netmonDec 7, 2015 12:43226848
1ISIS/ISIL/DAESH Are NOT easy to defeat [59 words]Brian O' ReillyDec 7, 2015 09:05226846
1ISIS's strength [244 words]AnonDec 7, 2015 01:36226842
No signs of ISIS demise on the horizon yet! [24 words]JaladhiDec 6, 2015 19:53226838
1a poisonous rose by many other names [249 words]Charles MartelDec 6, 2015 17:46226836
ISIS [2 words]BorisDec 8, 2015 14:28226836
2ISIS won't self-destruct for a long time [786 words]StephenDec 6, 2015 15:02226832
ISIS [1 words]BorDec 8, 2015 14:34226832
ISIS' Imminent Demise? Even if they now have WMD? [1 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
jmwtcllcDec 6, 2015 12:34226830
Yes. Exactly. [37 words]Doug MayfieldDec 6, 2015 11:39226828
'small bug'...like Xenopsylla cheopis? [354 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
PaulDec 6, 2015 10:54226827
Learn From ISIS [267 words]DaveDec 6, 2015 10:17226826
Are you calling them "JV League"? [87 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Haim ModianoDec 6, 2015 09:31226825
The Real Threat [167 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
BillDec 6, 2015 09:24226824
Agree with Dr Pipes but... [71 words]AnonDec 8, 2015 15:51226824
Unwinding Radical Islam [100 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Solomon BalasDec 6, 2015 08:02226822
Wahhabism and oil, a toxic mix [57 words]Colin RoseDec 6, 2015 04:32226817
1ISIS' Imminent Demise [96 words]Avinoam Ben DorDec 6, 2015 01:28226815
The real threat. [7 words]steven LDec 5, 2015 23:22226814
ISIS [28 words]Janusz KowalikDec 5, 2015 22:44226813
1Wouldn't ground troops need to be deployed indefinitely? [89 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Anon.Dec 5, 2015 17:24226812

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