The Wisdom to Self-Correct: Appreciating the Significance of ISIS's Putative Caliphate and Refining America's Strategy to Destroy It
Abstract
The Coalition aligned to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) does not appreciate that organization's center of gravity: ISIS possesses and administers significant territory in what used to be Syria and Iraq. Three key organizational strengths spring forth from the possession of administered territory. Western leaders' failure to recognize either the center of gravity or these key strengths has led to development of an ineffectual, air-centric military strategy to address ISIS. However, an appreciation of these key strengths makes possible a more effective strategy to defeat ISIS. ISIS's possession of a territorial physical state enables three key organizational strengths to persist. First, ISIS is able to sustain an historically powerful and politically relevant narrative about early expansionist Islam's role in shaping the old world while it also bends nations towards the true faith in these latter days and animates foreign fighters to flock to the ISIS cause. Secondly, the very fact ISIS holds significant, albeit scattered and non-contiguous, territories allows the organization to use strategic depth to survive the coalitions relentless airstrikes and oftentimes outmaneuver indigenous Syrian and Iraqi ground forces. Thirdly, by some estimates, ISIS governs a population of some 10 million people, which provides a substantial revenue base.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 02, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1176119
Entities
People
- Jeffrey M. Brewer
Organizations
- Marine Corps University