Quote:
Originally Posted by Matata
The idea of actually eliminating every member of a group like IS is so insane and logistically impossible that no government ever would propose doing exactly that, but every 5-10 years or so we get a new boogeyman in the middle east and we're sold the idea that we just have to take them out and then every thing will be all better (IS, Taliban, Osama, Saddam, whoever is giving Isreal a hard time). It's becoming abundantly clear that the long term solution doesn't lie in 'boots to asses' and that a different and more complex approach is required if peace in the middle east is the goal.
I think it's important to stop thinking of ourselves and our governments as being the 'good guys', a brief history of the last 100 years in the middle east would show that this is very far from being the case.
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Here is the problem with your theory.
As is well known, although certain countries have attempted to go in and take these groups out, they have never been allowed to finish the job.
Political pressure from various sources always leads to exiting the situation before any sort of true difference is made. It happened in Iraq, it happened in Afghanistan and it has been occurring in the area around Israel for decades.
I agree that it's certainly not appealing to go back to a ground war, but there is no other better option that has ever been proposed. Its the one thing that radical militants count on. they know that at some point troops will be pulled out and they can go right back in to fill the vloid.
Not once has a NATO nor UN mission been allowed to stay and fight to the point that there is a surrender at which point real diplomacy MIGHT have a chance to make a difference.
The only other option, and I don't think anyone has the appetite for it either, is to just abandon the area completely and in unison and leave them to their own devices and see what happens. Though we all know the likely outcome of such an action and it is not pretty.
It's a screwed up situation for sure with multiple influences on it through the years but the one thing facing us right now is a growing number of affiliated radicals who are getting more widespread with one goal in mind and that's to kill you, me and anyone not embracing their ideals.