tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2108117660267051328.post7040417096916724813..comments2024-03-22T19:12:03.423-07:00Comments on Anonymous Mugwump: Five Myths about ISISUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2108117660267051328.post-23646376351227637252014-10-08T05:56:53.036-07:002014-10-08T05:56:53.036-07:00To my mind, ISIL (or whatever they're calling ...To my mind, ISIL (or whatever they're calling themselves this day of the week) are essentially just mobile, moderately well organised bandits. They're winning and capturing towns for two reasons; firstly there's no force patrolling the areas in between the towns capable of stopping this movement, and secondly they're smart enough to only hit vulnerable places with overwhelming force.<br /><br />The key to stopping them is threefold. Firstly, their supply and movement lines need cutting. This requires mobile light armour with decent air support; ground troops to intercept and spot targets, and air support to give overwhelming attack capability. As soon as they cannot move men and material around with impunity, they change from being a nation to a scattered rabble of bandits.<br /><br />The second phase of any operation requires local troops, supported by and policed by outsiders who are overtly non-religious. Not anti-religious, but definitely not part of the three-way sunni v shia v kurd hillbilly feud that's been going on for donkeys' years. This phase will be slow and tiresome since it will necessitate sorting through each and every ISIL-infiltrated village and town, rooting out the more overt militants and removing heavy weaponry (and the patrols need to be kept up with at this point, as well).<br /><br />Thirdly and finally, the borders between known trouble spots like Syria and its neighbours need to be fortified, reinforced and strictly enforced so that movement over the border is almost all via manned, fortified crossing points. It is probably a good idea to ignore petty corruption such as local "crossing taxes" here just to keep the locals interested in the idea that a border is a great idea to keep enforced. <br /><br />Along the way here, a lot of foreign militants will be encountered. A good way to treat them is by an official version of the unofficial Northern Irish rules of engagement, as colourfully explained by a soldier I knew who'd served there: "If you see an IRA man with a gun in his hands then you bloody well shoot him dead so some smart-arse lawyer can't get him off later on". This is cruel, but a reasonable rule of thumb as these foreign jihadis signed on to be fighters, therefore ought not be given an easy ride for their stupidity and treasonous intent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com