![\"Iraqi](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dougsbriefcase.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/credit-reuters.jpg\")
<\/a>Iraqi secu\u00adri\u00adty forces and Shi\u00adite mili\u00adtia are among the ground troops on whom we rely in our war against the Islam\u00adic State. Their bru\u00adtal\u00adi\u00adty rivals that of IS<\/span>. [Cred\u00adit: Reuters]<\/p><\/div>[The sol\u00addiers] dragged res\u00adi\u00addents up to age 70 from their homes, beat\u00ading and curs\u00ading them with sec\u00adtar\u00adi\u00adan slurs, Abu Omar [one of the sur\u00advivors] told Reuters<\/a> by phone. He said the fight\u00aders took the men\u2019s mobiles and ID<\/span> cards, then bound their hands, tying Abu Omar to his 12-year-old men\u00adtal\u00adly ill son with rope. They did the same with his two old\u00ader sons and three brothers.<\/em>\n The men were led a few hun\u00addred yards to a field where Abu Omar said more than a hun\u00addred oth\u00aders had been gath\u00adered. For about two hours, they were forced to kneel and stare at the ground as the fight\u00aders select\u00aded their tar\u00adgets and led them to a spot behind a mud wall.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>They took them behind the wall. Less than a minute, then a gun\u00adshot,\u201d said Abu Omar. \u201cAll we could hear was the gun\u00adshots. We could\u00adn\u2019t see.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n This atroc\u00adi\u00adty, which claimed the lives of 72 unarmed peo\u00adple in a vil\u00adlage in Iraq\u2019s Diyala Province, was not car\u00adried out by the Islam\u00adic State (IS<\/span>). It was per\u00adpe\u00adtrat\u00aded by our allies in the war against IS<\/span> \u2014 Iraqi secu\u00adri\u00adty forces and Shi\u00adite militia.<\/p>\n More than six months after he launched a bomb\u00ading cam\u00adpaign intend\u00aded to res\u00adcue mem\u00adbers of an obscure cult known as the Yazidis<\/a> from an IS<\/span> siege, Pres\u00adi\u00addent Oba\u00adma has asked Con\u00adgress to autho\u00adrize the Third Iraq War.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just a cour\u00adtesy, of course. The Pres\u00adi\u00addent believes that he needn\u2019t both\u00ader with Con\u00adgress con\u00adcern\u00ading such mat\u00adters as war and peace, immi\u00adgra\u00adtion, health care, and oth\u00ader sub\u00adjects con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly reserved to the leg\u00adis\u00adla\u00adture, the Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion being the obso\u00adlete work of eigh\u00adteenth cen\u00adtu\u00adry elit\u00adists. But the Pres\u00adi\u00addent thinks it impor\u00adtant to make Con\u00adgress feel rel\u00ade\u00advant to gov\u00ader\u00adnance of the Republic.<\/p>\n Con\u00adgress has so far react\u00aded bad\u00adly to the President\u2019s beaux geste<\/em>. Repub\u00adli\u00adcans object to the war resolution\u2019s pro\u00adhi\u00adbi\u00adtion of \u201cendur\u00ading offen\u00adsive ground oper\u00ada\u00adtions<\/a>\u201d as too lim\u00adit\u00ading. Democ\u00adrats com\u00adplain that the phrase\u2019s vague\u00adness makes it too expan\u00adsive. Which is why the Pres\u00adi\u00addent would much rather nego\u00adti\u00adate with aya\u00adtol\u00adlahs than with Congress.<\/p>\n What\u00adev\u00ader comes of this exer\u00adcise (our war efforts will con\u00adtin\u00adue with or with\u00adout Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal approval), it is a use\u00adful one. Use\u00adful because it forces a dis\u00adcus\u00adsion of why we\u2019ve gone to war against IS<\/span>, why we are con\u00adduct\u00ading the war in such a pecu\u00adliar way and what we hope to achieve.<\/p>\n The Pres\u00adi\u00addent has var\u00adi\u00adous\u00adly explained his ratio\u00adnale<\/a> for the war, but it seems to come down to this: he believes the Islam\u00adic State to be the worst ter\u00adror\u00adist group on earth. They destroy vil\u00adlages and mas\u00adsacre their inhab\u00adi\u00adtants. They take West\u00adern hostages, using ran\u00adsom as a prin\u00adci\u00adpal rev\u00adenue source and slaugh\u00adter\u00ading those whose ran\u00adsoms go unpaid. And though their resort to bru\u00adtal\u00adi\u00adty and car\u00adnage is pret\u00adty much what we\u2019ve come to expect from every brand of Islamist fanati\u00adcism, there is a the\u00adatri\u00adcal\u00adi\u00adty about their exe\u00adcu\u00adtions that makes them more chill\u00ading. When we see these videos, we want IS<\/span> destroyed, which is the President\u2019s stat\u00aded intention.<\/p>\n But is IS<\/span> real\u00adly the worst ter\u00adror\u00adist group on earth? I\u2019m not con\u00advinced. If there were Acad\u00ade\u00admy Awards in this cat\u00ade\u00adgo\u00adry, nom\u00adi\u00adnees might include Boko Haram, Hamas, Hezbol\u00adlah, the Houthis, the Tal\u00adiban, the Kur\u00addish ter\u00adror\u00adists at the PKK<\/span> and al Qae\u00adda. All of them rou\u00adtine\u00adly com\u00admit atroc\u00adi\u00adties and have seized con\u00adtrol of ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adries with\u00adin sov\u00ader\u00adeign nations. And yet, we\u2019re pro\u00advid\u00ading air cov\u00ader to the PKK<\/span>, nego\u00adti\u00adat\u00ading with the Houthis<\/a> (who recent\u00adly over\u00adthrew the U.S.-backed regime in Yemen), have swapped pris\u00adon\u00aders with the Tal\u00adiban, report\u00aded\u00adly held secret talks<\/a> with Hamas in pur\u00adsuit of a failed peace agree\u00adment between Israel and the Pales\u00adtini\u00adans, have allowed al Qae\u00adda to oper\u00adate large\u00adly unmo\u00adlest\u00aded <\/a>in Syr\u00adia, and are choos\u00ading to ignore Boko Haram and Hezbollah.<\/p>\n Even if the Islam\u00adic State were the worst ter\u00adror\u00adists on earth, that would not be grounds for war. Per\u00adhaps the Pres\u00adi\u00addent has declared them such because his strat\u00ade\u00adgy involves out\u00adsourc\u00ading ground com\u00adbat to a coterie of mis\u00adcre\u00adants. His implic\u00adit moral jus\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion appears to be that our cobel\u00adliger\u00adents are not quite as bad as our ene\u00admy. Maybe. But they are plen\u00adty bad, as the account above illustrates.<\/p>\n Our Coali\u00adtion of the Ugly But Will\u00ading includes Shi\u00adite mili\u00adtia, Kur\u00addish ter\u00adror\u00adists, the Iran\u00adian mil\u00adi\u00adtary, Iraqi secu\u00adri\u00adty forces, and Assad\u2019s Syr\u00adi\u00adan army. When they win a bat\u00adtle, fre\u00adquent\u00adly with our air sup\u00adport, may\u00adhem can ensue. Win\u00adning ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry from IS<\/span> often means that Shi\u00adites mas\u00adsacre Sun\u00adnis; los\u00ading that Sun\u00adnis mas\u00adsacre Shi\u00adites. We facil\u00adi\u00adtate one and con\u00addemn the other.<\/p>\n And while war nec\u00ades\u00adsar\u00adi\u00adly involves moral com\u00adpro\u00admise, our strate\u00adgic deci\u00adsion to rely on armies and fac\u00adtions of evil pur\u00adpose and mis\u00adshapen moral\u00adi\u00adty to pros\u00ade\u00adcute this war makes us com\u00adplic\u00adit in these atroc\u00adi\u00adties. Our airstrikes aid their ground assaults, though we know what will hap\u00adpen should they \u2013 and we \u2013 succeed.<\/p>\n We are entrust\u00ading the con\u00adduct of our war to peo\u00adple we know to be untrust\u00adwor\u00adthy because the Pres\u00adi\u00addent has made \u201cno boots on the ground\u201d the lodestar of his for\u00adeign and mil\u00adi\u00adtary pol\u00adi\u00adcy. The Pres\u00adi\u00addent defines this war by who we are against (IS<\/span>) and what we are against doing (send\u00ading U.S. troops into ground com\u00adbat). Win\u00adning that war, how\u00adev\u00ader, requires ground com\u00adbat. So we sup\u00adport some very bad peo\u00adple who do some very bad things and con\u00adsole our\u00adselves with the thought that they are not as bad as the enemy.<\/p>\n The deci\u00adsion to engage in war is con\u00adcerned pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly with ends and only sec\u00adon\u00addar\u00adi\u00adly with means. For the Pres\u00adi\u00addent, the dis\u00adcus\u00adsion is almost always about means: what we will do and, far more sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant\u00adly, what we won\u2019t. The \u201cno boots on the ground\u201d stip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion needs to be con\u00adsid\u00adered in the con\u00adtext of anoth\u00ader: the U.S. should not under\u00adtake mil\u00adi\u00adtary inter\u00adven\u00adtion unless it advances our legit\u00adi\u00admate interests.<\/p>\n The Pres\u00adi\u00addent has yet to iden\u00adti\u00adfy our inter\u00adests or artic\u00adu\u00adlate our goals, beyond degrad\u00ading and destroy\u00ading IS<\/span>. So let\u2019s ask our\u00adselves, what if IS<\/span> were destroyed \u2013 ban\u00adished from Iraq and Syr\u00adia, erased from the face of the earth, nev\u00ader again to inflict itself on human\u00adi\u00adty? What then?<\/p>\n That out\u00adcome is improb\u00ada\u00adble, espe\u00adcial\u00adly since IS<\/span>, far from con\u00adtract\u00ading, has spread<\/a> beyond Iraq and Syr\u00adia to coun\u00adtries through\u00adout the Mid\u00addle East and North Africa. But if IS<\/span> were destroyed, there would be at least two pos\u00adsi\u00adble out\u00adcomes, nei\u00adther espe\u00adcial\u00adly attrac\u00adtive. The first is that the land grab in which var\u00adi\u00adous of our cobel\u00adliger\u00adents have been engaged will take on some per\u00adma\u00adnen\u00adcy. Kurds will con\u00adsol\u00adi\u00addate their con\u00adtrol over the north\u00adern por\u00adtion of Iraq and pro\u00adclaim inde\u00adpen\u00addence from Bagh\u00addad. Sun\u00adni trib\u00adal chief\u00adtains, should they decide to turn against IS<\/span>, also will seek lib\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion from the Shi\u00adite-dom\u00adi\u00adnat\u00aded gov\u00adern\u00adment. The con\u00adse\u00adquence of vic\u00adto\u00adry could thus be an inher\u00adent\u00adly unsta\u00adble arrange\u00adment that divides ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry \u2013 and con\u00adtrol of oil pro\u00adduc\u00adtion \u2013 among rival eth\u00adnic, trib\u00adal and reli\u00adgious groups. Fur\u00adther bar\u00adbar\u00adi\u00adty would almost cer\u00adtain\u00adly ensue.<\/p>\n The oth\u00ader pos\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty is that Islam\u00adic State\u2019s destruc\u00adtion will return polit\u00adi\u00adcal bor\u00adders to those drawn by the Euro\u00adpeans after the First World War. The map would be unchanged. Syr\u00adia would still be Syr\u00adia and Iraq would com\u00adprise its char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adis\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly volatile mix of Sun\u00adni, Shi\u00adite and Kurd. Assad will have sur\u00advived a civ\u00adil war, his most potent ene\u00admies sub\u00addued thanks in no small mea\u00adsure to U.S. airstrikes. Baghdad\u2019s Shi\u00adite-dom\u00adi\u00adnat\u00aded gov\u00adern\u00adment would, like Assad\u2019s, serve as a repres\u00adsive and reli\u00adable client of Tehran.<\/p>\n In that sce\u00adnario, Iran would cement its sta\u00adtus as a Mid\u00addle East hege\u00admon, con\u00adtrol\u00adling either direct\u00adly or through clients ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry extend\u00ading from the Mediter\u00adranean to the Pak\u00adistan and Afghan fron\u00adtier, and from Turkey to the Per\u00adsian Gulf. Sau\u00addi Ara\u00adbia would be brack\u00adet\u00aded between Iraq to its north and Houthi-con\u00adtrolled Yemen to its south, with Israel remain\u00ading sand\u00adwiched between the Iran\u00adian-backed thugs of Hezbol\u00adlah and Hamas. Our tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal allies will find them\u00adselves in the shad\u00adow of a new Per\u00adsian Empire.<\/p>\n Whether that is the President\u2019s unspo\u00adken aim or mere\u00adly an out\u00adcome with which he\u2019s com\u00adfort\u00adable is dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to say. To the con\u00adster\u00adna\u00adtion of our tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal allies in the region, he has abet\u00adted Iran\u00adian hege\u00admo\u00adny from his first days in office. Our rela\u00adtion\u00adship with Iran is the lone sur\u00adviv\u00ading frag\u00adment of the \u201csmart<\/a>\u201d for\u00adeign pol\u00adi\u00adcy that he and Mrs. Clin\u00adton launched in 2009. The rest has turned to rubble.<\/p>\n His \u201creset\u201d of rela\u00adtions with Rus\u00adsia has pro\u00adduced a new Cold War. His \u201cpiv\u00adot to Asia\u201d was a dud. His attempt to bro\u00adker an agree\u00adment between Israel and the Pales\u00adtini\u00adans came to nought. His embrace of \u201cArab Spring\u201d has pro\u00adduced mil\u00adi\u00adtary dic\u00adta\u00adtor\u00adship in Egypt and resur\u00adgent jihadism almost every\u00adwhere else (Tunisia being the notable excep\u00adtion). Boko Haram is spread\u00ading ter\u00adror to a grow\u00ading list<\/a> of sub-Saha\u00adran African coun\u00adtries. A coup insti\u00adgat\u00aded by Iran has top\u00adpled the U.S.-backed gov\u00adern\u00adment in Yemen. Al Qae\u00adda has not been \u201cdec\u00adi\u00admat\u00aded<\/a>,<\/span>\u201d as pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial advis\u00ader Susan Rice once claimed, but is spread\u00ading through\u00adout the region<\/a>,<\/span> accord\u00ading to senior U.S. intel\u00adli\u00adgence offi\u00adcials. The Admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion\u2019s mil\u00adi\u00adtary or diplo\u00admat\u00adic sup\u00adport for regime change in Libya, Iraq and Ukraine has brought dis\u00adas\u00adter to all three.<\/p>\n The only for\u00adeign pol\u00adi\u00adcy con\u00adstant has been the Pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adt\u2019s man-crush on Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader, kin\u00addled by exchanges of let\u00adters<\/a> between the two. The Pres\u00adi\u00addent seems deter\u00admined to legit\u00adimize Iran\u2019s nuclear enrich\u00adment pro\u00adgram and to relieve the coun\u00adtry from sanc\u00adtions, rais\u00ading con\u00adcerns<\/a> about the theoc\u00adra\u00adcy acquir\u00ading nuclear weapons. As Wal\u00adter Rus\u00adsell Mead recent\u00adly observed in the Amer\u00adi\u00adcan Inter\u00adest<\/a>,<\/span> this effort has left the Pres\u00adi\u00addent vir\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly alone, with every\u00adone from Hen\u00adry Kissinger to the Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal wing of his own par\u00adty ques\u00adtion\u00ading his strategy.<\/p>\n Mead spec\u00adu\u00adlates that the White House dreams of a Per\u00adsian Spring, in which mod\u00ader\u00adate Ira\u00adni\u00adans will top\u00adple the theocrats and gov\u00adern a mul\u00adti-eth\u00adnic, mul\u00adti-lin\u00adgual, mul\u00adti-con\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal empire accord\u00ading to West\u00adern demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic sensibilities.<\/p>\n Pres\u00adi\u00addents, like all of us, are enti\u00adtled to dream. But if he has some goal in mind, some sense of what the region would look like if IS<\/span> were indeed destroyed, then he has an oblig\u00ada\u00adtion to tell us plain\u00adly and to explain why this result is worth a war.<\/p>\n Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal debate over autho\u00adriz\u00ading mil\u00adi\u00adtary force is at this point aca\u00add\u00ade\u00adm\u00adic, but if it pro\u00adduces a clear\u00ader under\u00adstand\u00ading of why we have cho\u00adsen this war, it will have served a use\u00adful purpose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [The sol\u00addiers] dragged res\u00adi\u00addents up to age 70 from their homes, beat\u00ading and curs\u00ading them with sec\u00adtar\u00adi\u00adan slurs, Abu Omar [one of the sur\u00advivors] told Reuters by phone. He said the fight\u00aders took the men\u2019s mobiles and ID<\/span> cards, then \u2026 Con\u00adtin\u00adue read\u00ading Why Are We At War With IS<\/span>?<\/h1>\n
Why Are We Outsourcing Ground Combat?<\/h1>\n
What Happens If We Win?<\/h1>\n