U.S. has the power to stop Islamic State


The United States’ foreign policy in the Middle East, for the better part of the 20th century and all of the 21st century, has been predicated on antiquated quid pro quo tactics and imperialist motives that have been covered by the veneer of diplomacy. The rise of the Islamic State, in recent months, adds to the already complicated  situation in the Middle East. With the conflict in Gaza, the U.S. faces a critical moment in shaping its influence and position in the region. The Obama administration must decide how its foreign policy will dictate the affairs in the Middle East. That is to say, will the U.S. retrace in its own footsteps or will it look to depart from the status quo?

Previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the group is an independent organization that stems from Sunni/Shi’ite sectarianism that has plagued Iraq for decades. The Islamic State targets Shi’ites as enemies, condemning them as threats. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of  the Islamic State, has vowed to expand the group’s territory and create a territorial state of its own. In recent months, it has made efforts on that front, gaining strongholds in major areas and taking control of Iraq’s largest dam, Mosul Dam, and other strategic military locations. The Obama administration has lent humanitarian and military aid to Iraq, but stopped short of any ground operation or deployment of troops, underscoring the belief that the U.S. will not endeavor to fight another war in Iraq.

The current situation in Iraq looks bleak. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s failed policies have exacerbated problems in a nation mired in sectarian conflict and the hope of a coalition government that will unite Shi’ites and Sunnis together looks grim. The current state of Iraq  demonstrates the U.S.’s failed foreign policy and paints a picture of a poorly managed system of diplomacy in the region.

After the first Gulf War, the U.S. stopped the expansionist ambitions of Saddam Hussein. In 2003, Hussein was removed, despite the fact that earlier assumptions about him possessing weapons of mass destruction proved false. The U.S. then assumed the responsibility of nation-building and tried to help establish a functioning democracy in a country that has never truly seen one. The rise of the Islamic State and an increase in sectarian division has shown that the U.S. has largely failed in that respect. The Islamic State is a reaction to myriad actions taken by Western nations to build a democracy with no regard to cultural and religious boundaries. The U.S. view that Iraq was and still is incapable of building its own government continues to fuel instability and further divide parties involved.

In the events that have transpired so far, the Islamic State has shed light on the inability of the U.S. to moderate peace in an unstable region. With the world’s eyes on Gaza, the Islamic State has been able to snag U.S. weapons that have been left on the battlefield. It is ludicrous and comical to think that the U.S. is attempting to fight a force to which it has indirectly supplied arms. The Obama administration’s continued support of Maliki’s regime underscores a lack of insight — change is necessary if Iraqis ever hope to wake up to something other than attack sirens.

The world needs to take notice of the events happening in Iraq. The recent fighting between Israel and Hamas is yet another iteration in the long history of conflict in the region. However, the Islamic State poses new threats. The Obama administration has an opportunity to change the status quo with the situation in regard to the Islamic State. Will the U.S. employ the policies of old by simply removing a threat and installing a favorable coalition? Or will Obama and the West recognize the sectarianism that mires the region and look to help Iraqis themselves fill the vacuum that the Islamic State is occupying?

The failed policies of the U.S. and the West in the past have created a situation in Iraq that continues to repeat itself, and the Islamic State is a result of another reiteration of that narrative. The Obama administration faces a tough road ahead in determining whether to continue policy that has dictated action for decades or pave a new path and enact initiatives that will help Iraqis decide what is best for them and their country.

The conflicts in Iraq are difficult ones to contend with and the current situation opens a new chapter that could possibly help bring peace and stability to a nation that deserves just that.

1 reply
  1. Liberty Minded
    Liberty Minded says:

    What power does the USA have? Threats of war? The USA is so debt ridden that countries are looking at alternates to the dollar for international exchange. The dollar is so weak that it takes more to buy the same food products nearly every year. Is it not every year that the President and Congress agree to spend more than comes in from taxes, fees and penalties? Rich nations can afford war. Unified nations can afford war. The USA is neither.

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