Can An International Coalition Defeat I.S.?

[highlandsflyer]

Who even doubts it? Crush them like bugs. They are going to run out of hostages at some point, and we won't stop when they do. We are just getting started.

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

Evening HF,

I'm not sure they can defeat an extremist faction when a western coalition don't know precisely where they are. Would obviously be good to do though.
However, there will for ever more be sympathisers, who will brainwash others into committing acts of terrorism, without even needing to be in direct contact, due to t'internet rhetoric.
Whatever we do in the west, we will not change the ways of the people living out there, they simply have a way of life that no westerner has managed to change, however much we try.

 

[highlandsflyer]

Mike, they key point is that it is an international coalition, not purely Western, though of course led by the USA.

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

If any of the Middle Eastern countries get involved, then maybe they could provide a longer term solution to extremism in that part of the World I would have thought. Are they all predominantly Muslim states?
If the USA is leading the fight, then it ain't gonna be pretty!

 

[captaincosmic]

Re:

Trying to shoot cowards who hide amongst women and children is still unpalatable even for a coalition

 

[highlandsflyer]

My hope is we can tap into local intelligence and use the tribal rivalries to undermine the extremists. it certainly won't be pretty, but we should never have washed our hands of the problem initially. We should have gone into Syria as soon as the regime turned on its people.

We should never have appeased the likes of I.S. by announcing we would not put boots on the ground.

We should never have undertaken to withdraw from Iraq on some arbitrary timetable for the return to chaos.

So many mistakes, the only way we can defeat this ideology is psychologically.

We need to embrace moderates and exterminate extremism.

 

[poweredbypies]

depend who runs the show? politicians or generals, the armed forces cant fight with one hand behind their backs.

 

[highlandsflyer]

We demonstrated previously that man to man on the ground we can send anyone packing post haste. This lot are no different, they are not men they are cowardly mice.

 

[Chapeau! Velo]

Re:

Sadly you can't defeat an ideology, you can only limit the support that it has and restrict it's propagation through a mix of international resolve to do something about it and then use targeted and effective military power. IS has been allowed to flourish virtually unopposed in Syria where it has bought time and has gained some momentum to widen and perpetuate it's cause.

 

[highlandsflyer]

I.S. rely on fear to rule. They have no idea how bad ass we really are, and are going to find out.