OPINION
All other arguments aside, Charlie Cooper says Western military
intervention would play right into the hands of the terrorists wreaking
havoc in Iraq.
 |
Dick Cheney's 'amazing chutzpah' |
 |
Opinion: Why neo-cons wrong on Iraq |
Why the West must ignore Iraq's pleas for military intervention
June 20, 2014 -- Updated 1824 GMT (0224 HKT)
Volunteers raise their weapons and
chant slogans during a parade in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City,
Baghdad, on Saturday, June 21. Vast swaths of northern Iraq, including
the cities of Mosul and Tal Afar, have fallen as the Islamic State in
Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, advances toward Baghdad, the capital. The ISIS
militants want to establish a caliphate, or Islamic state, in the
region, stretching from Iraq into northern Syria.
HIDE CAPTION
Iraq under siege
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Cooper says Western military intervention would play into ISIS hands
- Jihadists use 'war on Islam' to fortify their tenuous relevance to the modern world
- To undermine that, there needs to be Western restraint
- Turkey or Jordan could provide firepower; the West the humanitarian aid
Editor's note: Charlie Cooper is a researcher on the Middle East at Quilliam, a think tank formed to combat extremism. The opinions in this commentary are solely his.
(CNN) -- All other arguments aside, the West should not militarily intervene in Iraq.
Regardless of what might
be said by politicians, Iraqi or not, Western intervention to aid
Baghdad in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
does not constitute a solution to the current crisis, nor does it work
towards one.
Far from it: direct military intervention by a Western state -- even if Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is requesting it
-- would dramatically worsen the situation, and ISIS, contrary to what
pro-interventionists might say, would inevitably come out on top.
Charlie Cooper is a researcher on the Middle East at Quilliam, an anti-extremism think tank
While all options might, as John Kerry said this week, remain on the table at this point, some are more "on it" than others.
Indeed, it seems there is an international consensus that there is no appetite for Western "boots on the ground" (besides a very limited presence to secure national assets).
If there were to be any intervention, therefore, it seems likely it would take the form of "targeted strikes" from the air -- be they via drones, jets or missiles. And we are told that in that case, the focus would be exclusively on "ISIS strongholds" in order to "minimize civilian casualties."
Removed from the rhetoric
of politicos, though, Western intervention would bolster the propaganda
efforts of ISIS, for any attack would inevitably kill or injure Muslim
civilians, regardless of how well it had been planned or how good the
intelligence behind it was. This would be good news for ISIS.
Obama's promise: No 'combat' troops
Frightened Iraqis take to anonymous app
What will 300 advisers do in Iraq?
Will there be a third Iraq war?
Indeed, the group
actually relies on its ability to attribute civilian casualties to its
enemies. By doing so, it bolsters the skewed jihadist narrative of
international politics and presents an opportunity to exaggerate the
non-existent "Crusader threat" and defend the group's false legitimacy.
In short, the more
civilians that die, the more events in Iraq can be internationalized,
and the wider the appeal of ISIS can become. This effect would be
grossly amplified if there were deaths at the hands of the U.S. or the
UK.
After all, one of the
central tenets of the jihadist narrative is the so-called "War on
Islam." Through this much abused paradigm, any international involvement
in a conflict involving Muslims is used by jihadists to fortify their
ever-tenuous relevance in the modern world.
And even were we to set aside all of the above, we still could not in any way justify intervening against ISIS in Iraq but not against Assad in Syria.
Rightly or wrongly, this
would be read by the region's most vulnerable as incontrovertible
evidence that the West will only intervene when its own economic
prosperity is at stake. Why else would it defend the rights of civilians
here and not against Assad after his apparent use of chemical weapons?
The West must ignore Baghdad's plea for military assistance. We must not play into the jihadists' hands.
Instead, we must focus
on humanitarian assistance for refugees and diplomatic pressure on
al-Maliki to force him into profound and far-reaching reforms.
In the long term, the only solution there can be is a political one: Iraq's economically and politically marginalized Sunnis need to be brought back into Iraq's decision-making process.
But even if it is not
our place to carry out military action, this is not to say that military
intervention is categorically inappropriate. Indeed, if the Iraqi
national army cannot pull itself together, I would argue it is
absolutely necessary.
However, it must be at
the hands of a Sunni Muslim-majority country, in order to diffuse the
narrative of Western armed forces once again attacking Muslims. If a
country like Turkey or Jordan acts against it, ISIS's "War on Islam"
rhetoric would not have anywhere near the same impact.
Leaving its operational and strategic capacity to regional players, the West's focus needs to be on ISIS's ideological heart.
We need to undermine its
greatest rhetorical asset: that Muslims, worldwide, are under attack by
the "Crusading" West. This can only be achieved with a policy of
restraint.
Iraqis are taking up arms to defend their cities from the terror group
ISIS -- and U.S. military advisers will be on the job within hours.
FULL STORY
- EXCLUSIVE How ISIS wins hearts
- Westerners star in ISIS video
- Who are the U.S.'s Iraq advisers?
4 western Iraqi towns fall to advancing ISIS militants
June 21, 2014 -- Updated 2209 GMT (0609 HKT)HIDE CAPTIONIraq under siegeSTORY HIGHLIGHTS- NEW: ISIS now controls Al-Qaim, Rawa, Ana and Huseiba
- NEW: Those four towns sit on a highway from Syria to Baghdad
- Even women holding handguns march in Shiite militia parade
- Suspected ISIS militants control large parts of Al-Qaim, a border town
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- A strategic border crossing and three other cities in western Iraq fell Saturday to the control of ISIS militants, a senior Iraqi security official said.
In addition to their offensives in northern Iraq, the militants have now strengthened their hand in the western province of Anbar, the country's largest geographically, and were controlling Al-Qaim, Rawa, Ana and Huseiba, said the senior official, who's based in Anbar.Most importantly, the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, or ISIS, controlled the strategic town of Al-Qaim on the border with Syria, where the enemy fighters enjoy a stronghold, Iraqi security officials said Saturday.Together, the four towns are situated along a highway from Syria to Baghdad, heightening possibilities that the militants could now march from the west to lay siege to the Iraqi capital.Iraqi government officials didn't have an immediate comment, other than security officials saying they were expecting troop reinforcements in Anbar.Also, the first retinue of U.S. military advisers was expected to arrive soon in Iraq.Since clashes erupted Friday in Al-Qaim, at least 11 Iraqi soldiers have been killed and 21 more have been wounded. Also, at least 20 militants were killed after Iraqi forces shelled areas from where the extremists launched attacks, two security officials in Ramadi, Iraq, told CNN.Al-Qaim sits across from Syria's Deir Ezzor province, where ISIS controls at least three towns, including areas near the military airport of Deir Ezzor, which was the headquarters of the military council for rebel battalions, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group in London that monitors the Syrian conflict.Why Al-Qaim is important"This advancement (in Syria) is considered a very important and strategic step because ISIS has tried to take a complete control over areas in the east of Deir Ezzor in order to reach to the Syrian-Iraqi borders, and then to connect its held areas in both Syria and Iraq with each other," the opposition group said.Opposite of Al-Qaim is the Syrian town of Al-Bukamal, which is under the control of other Islamist brigades such as Nusra Front, said Rami Abdulrahman of SOHR. ISIS doesn't control that town, he added Saturday.Iraqi forces were fighting the suspected ISIS militants on at least two fronts: First, they discovered dozens of militants on the Syrian side of the border, security officials said.At the same time, some Sunni tribesmen within the Sunni-dominated province of Anbar were aiding and assisting the militants in their successful offensives against Iraqi forces, the officials said. Al-Qaim is in Anbar province, Iraq's largest geographically.The Sunni tribesmen's support is pivotal in the fighting, a senior security official in Ramadi told CNN.If the Sunni tribes do not decide to help and support Iraqi security forces, then it will be very difficult for Iraqi forces to regain the full control of Al-Qaim, the senior official said.In the meantime, Iraqi forces were waiting for more troops to arrive in Al-Qaim, located about 500 kilometers (about 310 miles) west of Baghdad.Shiite show of forceIraq has a long history of brutality between Sunni and Shiite sects, and on Saturday, a warning of renewed conflict between Shiites and the Sunnis supporting ISIS emerged on the streets of Baghdad, where thousands of Shiite militiamen marched in a rally.The show of force, called a parade, was organized by prominent Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who urged unity in Iraq in its fight against ISIS.The thousands of Shiites wore various security forces uniforms in a march in Baghdad's Sadr City.They carried rifles, rocket launchers and rocket-propelled grenades.On the street, they also did a demonstration on planting roadside bombs -- with the armor-piercing bombs hoisted on their shoulders. Those bombs were the Iranian-designed, electronically formed projectiles, which were the scourge of the U.S. war in Iraq during the 2000s.Even women joined the march, dressed in black and holding handguns.Only a few years ago, the Shiite militiamen were fighting U.S. forces on the same Baghdad streets.On Saturday, they demonstrated their readiness for the ISIS fighters."ISIS is a terrorist organization created by the United States. They are the enemy of humanity," said one participant who identified himself as a former army colonel. "We are here to free the land for all Sunni and Shiite and everyone."Another militiaman said he didn't welcome the U.S. initiative to send military advisers to help the government."We don't need airstrikes or any external force helping us here," the volunteer said. "We don't want these American military advisers."A Shiite cleric blamed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for Iraq's latest instability, even though his government favors Shiites."The main cause of the security deterioration is the bad management of the prime minister," the cleric said. "Al-Maliki must leave and resign."Falluja fighting, Baghdad bombingsElsewhere in Iraq's western Anbar province, Iraqi security forces killed 15 "terrorists" and destroyed four vehicles on Saturday afternoon in Falluja, said Iraqiya State TV, citing security officials.Falluja is about 60 kilometers west of Baghdad, and Iraqi forces have so far blocked the militants from marching on the nation's capital. Falluja has been under control of ISIS militants and Sunni tribesmen since January.The militants in Falluja, however, have been trying to take over Sunni areas close to Baghdad, such as Abu Ghraib and small villages close by, Ramadi security officials told CNN.Abu Ghraib is a largely Sunni area in the western outskirts of the capital.Despite the government effort to protect Baghdad, several bomb attacks occurred across the capital city, killing at least seven people and wounding 32 more, officials said Saturday. One of the bomb attacks hit Baghdad's Sadr City, a predominantly Shiite area in the eastern part of the Iraqi capital, police officials in Baghdad told CNN Saturday.U.S. advisers due to arrive in Iraq soonThe Iraqi government was waiting for the initial group of U.S. military advisers to arrive in Iraq soon, a senior defense official said, as crowds paraded nationwide in a show of unity for the government.This first detail is expected to be very small, the official said. The total number of U.S. military advisers who will eventually deploy will be about 300.In addition, some U.S. military personnel already at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad will be reassigned and become advisers, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said.The first group of advisers will conduct an initial assessment of Iraqi troop capabilities and of what may be needed for a larger group of U.S. advisers, including additional security measures where they may be deployed, a senior defense official said Friday.Mass exodus tears Iraqi families apart
Secret video of ISIS smuggled out of Iraq
What will U.S. 'advisers' do in Iraq?
Refugee crisisMore than 1 million Iraqis have fled their homes this year because of conflict, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday. The number is likely to rise as Islamist militants and Iraqi security forces battle for control.An estimated 800,000 people left Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul after it fell to fighters from ISIS, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The city has a population of 1.6 million.ISIS, born from an al Qaeda splinter group and supported by Sunni factions, continues its fierce advance in Iraq.Al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government is accused of fostering sectarian tensions by marginalizing Iraq's Sunni Arab and Kurd minorities.U.S. President Barack Obama told CNN on Friday that U.S. military efforts are hopeless without a change in government."If we don't see Sunni, Shia and Kurd representation in the military command structure, if we don't see Sunni, Shia and Kurd political support for what we're doing, we won't do it," he said.The complete interview will be aired Monday on CNN's "New Day."The United States withdrew its final troops from Iraq in 2011, nearly nine years after leading the invasion that ousted longtime leader Saddam Hussein.Obama: 'Won't be a military solution' if Iraqi political structure not fixed
June 21, 2014 -- Updated 0605 GMT (1405 HKT)They answered the call by the thousands, some walking miles in sweltering heat to volunteer to fight an al Qaeda splinter group barreling towards the Iraqi capital. FULL STORY | HOW DO YOU STOP ISIS?TOP MIDDLE EAST STORIES
- Palestinian landscape is newest World Heritage Site
- World Cup: Argentina and Iran -- a time to remember?
- Obama: military advisers going to Iraq
-
Obama outlines next steps in Iraq
- Clinton calls for release of Syrian activist
- Current fighting pushes Iraqi refugee population past 1 million
- Kerry: U.S. would communicate with Iran, not work with it
- Militants' advance threatens Christians in Iraq
- Chelsea Manning accuses U.S. of lying about Iraq
- Iraq has asked for U.S. air power to counter militants
-
As ISIS advances toward Baghdad, a call for fighting volunteers is answered
June 21, 2014 -- Updated 0506 GMT (1306 HKT)Iraqis volunteer to fight against ISIS
STORY HIGHLIGHTS- Iraq's top religious and political leaders call for volunteers to defend against ISIS
- Thousands -- mostly young Shiites -- answer the call
- "Those terrorists must be driven out, and by God's will they will be driven out," says a volunteer
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- They answered the call by the thousands, some walking miles in sweltering heat to volunteer to fight an al Qaeda splinter group barreling towards the Iraqi capital.
With reports that fighters with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the terror group also known as ISIS, was some 40 miles from the gates of Baghdad, the country's top religious and political leaders appealed for able-bodied men of fighting age to volunteer to defend the country."Mosul, Tal Afar, Falluja, wherever, by God's will we will be ready to defend any location," said 23-year-old Ahmed, who showed up Thursday at a recruiting station in central Baghdad, one of dozens that have popped up across the country in recent days to handle the influx of volunteers.ISIS launches online propaganda attack
Ahmed, who gave only his first name, was joined by hundreds of men, mostly Shiites in their 20s, at the Muthanna Airbase, where they waited under a makeshift canopy for their chance to sign up."What's happening is sabotage. Those terrorists must be driven out, and by God's will they will be driven out," he said.ISIS' lightning advance in Iraq has been aided by support from many Sunnis who say they have been pushed aside and marginalized by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his Shiite-dominated government, a divide that threatens to tear the country apart.ISIS, aided by Sunni fighters, seized Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, and then threatened to march on Baghdad.The militants' rapid advance -- and the total collapse of Iraq's security forces in the face of their assault in Mosul and a number of other smaller cities and towns -- have rocked al-Maliki's government.While the aim of ISIS is to establish an Islamic state that stretches from Iraq to northern Syria, where it has had significant success in battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, it has made al-Maliki's removal from power part of its campaign.Last week, as ISIS fighters neared Samarra, home to a revered Shiite shrine, al-Maliki took to the airwaves to call on volunteers to protect the city north of Baghdad.That was followed by Iraq's top cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, appeal to people to join the military to protect Shiite shrines, a call that saw a massive outpouring of Shiite volunteers that raised concerns about the possible widening of the sectarian conflict.During Friday prayers, a sermon delivered by a senior cleric and representative of al-Sistani called for all Muslim sects to stand together in the fight against ISIS."Last week, the higher religious authority called upon Iraqis to volunteer to join the armed forces to defend Iraq in these difficult conditions," Imam Sayid Ahmed al-Safi said during prayers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala."This call was directed to everybody and not to one sect, it aimed to prepare to stand up to ISIS that has got the upper hand and strongest presence in many areas and that has declared that it is targeting other provinces including the holy Najaf and Karbala and other places within its reach like holy places and shrines of holy people and imams of all religions."Despite the widespread call, the volunteers signing up at the Muthanna Airbase were predominantly Shiite."I volunteered to preserve the people, and as a response to request of Ayatollah Sistani," Saif Saad, 25, said. "We are here to serve the people, and get rid of ISIS."Every so often, an officer ticked off the names of 10 men on a list. Each group headed into a beige, cramped building where they were give a cursory medical screening, including eye and dental exams."They will call or text us, and then we will put on uniforms and go to the front line," Saad said.The volunteers, who have been told they will receive a salary commiserate with soldiers in the Iraqi military, will get some training.It depends, Gen. Fadhil Abdul Sahib said, on the "tactical situation.""Maybe a few days, maybe a month," he said.With his medical exam completed, now Saad must wait.He says he's not worried. "We are here with ... courage because we are here to drive out terrorism from this country."CNN's Susan Chun and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.Share your story | CNN Arabic
copy http://edition.cnn.com/
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário