In the aftermath of the series of attacks in Paris, attributed to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), French President François Hollande has declared a three-month state of emergency. This measure enables the military and law enforcement to monitor, arrest, detain and interrogate persons, with little or no due process. These powers… Continue reading Iraqi, Syrian Refugees May be ISIS’ ‘Achilles Heel’
Tag: Iraq
On the Limitations of Air-Power for Counter-Insurgency/ Counter-Terror Operations
Due to the intentionally vague language of the post-9/11 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), both the George W. Bush and Obama Administrations have been empowered to interpret their counter-terrorism mandate broadly, to include targets from the Taliban, ISIS, Boko Haram and other derivatives and affiliates of al-Qaeda—anywhere around the world and indefinitely.… Continue reading On the Limitations of Air-Power for Counter-Insurgency/ Counter-Terror Operations
Foreign Policy Fundamentalism
Originally published in The Wilson Quarterly, Vol. XXXIX, No. 3 (Summer 2015) Print version available here. With pomp and polish and platitudes, the 2016 presidential campaign is underway. It began in December, as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush announced he was “actively exploring” a run for the White House. Bush is more moderate than much… Continue reading Foreign Policy Fundamentalism
If Underpants Gnomes Took Over the Pentagon, Very Little Would Change
In the Comedy Central television series South Park, the boys discover a cartel of gnomes who steal people’s underwear. Over the course of the episode it’s revealed that these seizures are part of their business plan which goes: Step 1: Collect Underpants → Step 2: ? → Step 3: Profit The punchline, of… Continue reading If Underpants Gnomes Took Over the Pentagon, Very Little Would Change
Netanyahu’s Politics of Fear Have Proven Highly-Effective
As the Israeli election results continue to be finalized, it appears that Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party has again emerged victorious—likely holding onto 30 of their current 31 seats in the government. The Zionist Union, Netanyahu’s primary opposition, garnered only 24 seats, with the Joint List of Arab candidates rounding out third place with a likely… Continue reading Netanyahu’s Politics of Fear Have Proven Highly-Effective
The Islamic State’s Supposed Theology is a Dangerous Distraction
It is problematic to assert that the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) is not “Islamic” in large part because the assertion presupposes there is a “true” and a “false” Islam—one by which Barack Obama or liberal Muslim intellectuals can judge whether others are “authentic” believers or not. This is the same takfir (excommunication) doctrine that… Continue reading The Islamic State’s Supposed Theology is a Dangerous Distraction
On the Strategic Logic of ISIL’s Atrocities
Following ISIL’s immolation Moaz al-Kasasbeh, many attributed the viciousness of his execution to the fact that he was a Jordanian pilot. The narrative is that the coalition airstrikes have been devastating for ISIL, and this extreme act was a desperate bid to dissuade allied forces from further strikes. By this logic, their tactic backfired: not… Continue reading On the Strategic Logic of ISIL’s Atrocities
Rethinking ISIL’s Immolation of Moaz al-Kasasbeh
One of the most popular narratives about ISIL’s recent immolation of Jordanian Moaz al-Kasasbeh is that the group resorted to such brutal measures against the pilot because they are desperate—pushed to the brink by coalition airstrikes. However, there are four major problems with this interpretation:
Gen. Petraeus Must Face Justice
The U.S. Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation have recommended felony charges against David Petraeus for giving classified information to his biographer and mistress, Paula Broadwell. While not a crime in itself (because Petraeus was retired from the military at the time the scandal broke), the affair put Petraeus, then director of the Central Intelligence… Continue reading Gen. Petraeus Must Face Justice
Normalize Relations with Iran Now, Not Later
In an administration which has become known for largely continuing the disastrous policies of the previous White House and doubling-down on its own proven failures—President Obama stunned the world with his surprise announcement that the United States would be normalizing relations with Cuba. The President pointed out that the extraordinary sanctions regime, which has been… Continue reading Normalize Relations with Iran Now, Not Later
Credibility is about Outcomes, not “Resolve”
In wake of Vladimir Putin annexing Crimea into the Russian Federation and supporting Eastern separatists against a Ukrainian government it perhaps rightly views as illegitimate, U.S. policy hawks argued the entire crisis could have been prevented: had President Obama followed through on his August 2013 commitment to bomb the Syrian government in retaliation for its… Continue reading Credibility is about Outcomes, not “Resolve”
Yes, ISIS is “Islamic” (But with regards to policy, it really, really doesn’t matter)
It is perhaps disingenuous to claim that ISIS is not “Islamic,” as many Muslim apologists have attempted. This is in part because there is no “true” and “false” Islam objectively accessible to human beings. And it’s in part because ISIS, it’s leaders and its supporters all explicitly tie themselves to Islam. Would-be Caliph Abu Bakr… Continue reading Yes, ISIS is “Islamic” (But with regards to policy, it really, really doesn’t matter)
Mexico’s Cartels Are More Depraved, Dangerous than ISIL
The horrific rampage of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has captured the world’s attention. Many Western commentators have insisted that ISIL’s crimes are unique, no longer practiced anywhere else in the civilized world. Worse still, they argue that the group’s barbaric practices are intrinsically Islamic, a product of the aggressive and… Continue reading Mexico’s Cartels Are More Depraved, Dangerous than ISIL
Forget the Islamic State, Focus on the United States
America’s War on Sexual Violence, Mass Atrocities & Religious Persecution Should Begin at Home Without question, the so-called “Islamic State” is an abomination that should be wiped from the face of the earth. However, it is unclear whether America is the right agent to see this through. Part of the trouble relates to the Obama Administration’s strategy, which… Continue reading Forget the Islamic State, Focus on the United States
Obama is Falling into Al-Baghdadi’s Trap
Just prior to the U.S.-led anti-Daish (ISIS) campaign into Syria, the group released a highly-polished 55-minute documentary, “Flames of War,” in which they challenged the United States to heavily mobilize in Iraq and Syria. They have made similar taunts when they executed Western hostages, seized American weapons, or co-opted the rebels trained to fight against… Continue reading Obama is Falling into Al-Baghdadi’s Trap
Critical Context on the U.S. Airstrikes in Syria
The Obama Administration has just announced that they and their coalition allies have begun a fierce campaign of airstrikes in Syria, bombing primarily “hard-targets” in the IS stronghold of Raqqa (about 20 of them). Here’s what is known—and perhaps more importantly—what is not known so far: “Sunni Arab” Partners The U.S. was the only non-Arab actor to participate in the… Continue reading Critical Context on the U.S. Airstrikes in Syria
On the Philosophical Underpinnings of Al-Qaeda & the Islamic State
The public discourse about transnational jihadist organizations indiscriminately lumps together al-Qaeda, its forerunners (such as the Taliban), affiliates (such as Jahbat al-Nusra), its derivatives (such as Ansar al-Sharia or the Islamic State), and even groups which have no strong connection to al-Qaeda or such as Hamas, Hezbollah, or local tribal militants. It is not just… Continue reading On the Philosophical Underpinnings of Al-Qaeda & the Islamic State
Fantasyland Syria and its Horrific Real-World Consequences
In the wake of the Islamic State’s takeover of northern Iraq and Syrian territories, several foreign policy hawks have blamed the Obama administration’s for failing to act in Syria. They claim that had the U.S. provided greater arms to the Syrian rebels or directly intervened on their behalf, Syria’s “moderate” opposition would have long triumphed… Continue reading Fantasyland Syria and its Horrific Real-World Consequences
Understanding Sectarianism in Iraq and Beyond
On Aug. 14, embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stepped down and accepted the candidacy of his successor, Haider al-Abadi, who was nominated last week by the Iraqi president in an effort to end months of political stalemate in Baghdad. Maliki’s ouster has been a key demand of the Sunni opposition and United States. His… Continue reading Understanding Sectarianism in Iraq and Beyond
Arming the Syrian Rebels is Counterproductive: Here’s Why…
A critique circulating by many foreign policy hawks is that the Obama Administration was far too concerned about delineating the “moderates” from the “extremists” of Syria’s rebellion, and only providing support to the former. They speculate that if the United States had provided more aid early on, extremists like the Islamic State would have never… Continue reading Arming the Syrian Rebels is Counterproductive: Here’s Why…
Al-Malaki Has Been Deposed, To What Avail?
Contrary to the popular narrative, Iraqi PM Nouri al-Malaki was not a sectarian leader. His fault was that he was an overly-ambitious autocrat who had the further misfortune of presiding over a fundamentally sectarian political system–and during the particularly polarized period in the Mideast which followed the Arab Uprisings. And while deposing al-Malaki had been a key demand of the Sunni opposition… Continue reading Al-Malaki Has Been Deposed, To What Avail?
The Obama Administration’s “Yeminization” of the Mideast
Earlier this month, the White House unveiled its new foreign policy credo: “Don’t do stupid shit.” While many lamented the modesty of this approach, acting with restraint in order to limit iatrogenesis is certainly a worthy goal—and an approach with wide and enduring popular support—in fact, this is the vision most of Obama’s voters endorsed… Continue reading The Obama Administration’s “Yeminization” of the Mideast
The Obama Administration’s Case for Military Intervention in Syria? Bullshit.
In philosophy circles, bullshit is a technical term denoting a claim presented as “fact” although its veracity has not been established. The truth value of bullshit is largely irrelevant to its propagators. Bullshit is disseminated in the service of particular ends, typically opaque to the audience. There is no better description for the White House’s… Continue reading The Obama Administration’s Case for Military Intervention in Syria? Bullshit.
Moral Outrage from Munafiqun
“When it is said to them: ‘Make not mischief on the earth,’ they say: ‘why, we are but peacemakers!’ Surely, these are the ones who foster discord, but they perceive it not.” Al-Qur’an 2:11-2 In the midst of his ill-fated case in the Parliament to authorize the use of force in Syria, PM David Cameron… Continue reading Moral Outrage from Munafiqun
Chemical Weapons, Toxic Discourse
In a letter responding to inquiries by Arizona Sen. John McCain, a hawkish advocate for U.S. intervention in Syria for the better part of two years (independently of the “chemical weapons” question, which is merely his latest pretext for U.S. involvement), the White House stated that there is intelligence suggesting that chemical weapons have been… Continue reading Chemical Weapons, Toxic Discourse
Barack Hussein Obama, Moderate Neoconservative
In early 2003, Saddam Hussein’s regional and international allies were all warning him that an American invasion was imminent. Hussein’s reply was basically, “I know Washington’s tone is getting aggressive, but they aren’t going to try to remove me. I’m the only one in the region who is really taking the fight to the terrorists… Continue reading Barack Hussein Obama, Moderate Neoconservative
The Arab Spring and the New Mujahadeen
Following the military coup which removed Hosni Mubarak, it was widely reported that al-Qaeda was rendered obsolete by the Arab Spring. Fareed Zakaria, for instance, pronounced: “The Arab Revolts of 2011 represent a total repudiation of al Qaeda’s founding ideology. For 20 years, al Qaeda has said that the regimes of the Arab World are… Continue reading The Arab Spring and the New Mujahadeen
Eternal Recurrence: Al-Asad & Al-Qaeda
On July 15th 2012, Nawaf al-Fares, Syria’s former Ambassador to Iraq, defected to the opposition. Along with his defection, he called for the international community, especially the United States, to act militarily in Syria to remove President Bashar al-Asad from power. At that same time, he claimed that the al-Asad regime had aided al-Qaeda’s insurgency… Continue reading Eternal Recurrence: Al-Asad & Al-Qaeda