Posted on 02/18/2015 7:13:17 AM PST by free_life
The Islamic State is no mere collection of psychopaths. It is a religious group with carefully considered beliefs, among them that it is a key agent of the coming apocalypse. Here’s what that means for its strategy—and for how to stop it.
What is the Islamic State?
Where did it come from, and what are its intentions? The simplicity of these questions can be deceiving, and few Western leaders seem to know the answers. In December, The New York Times published confidential comments by Major General Michael K. Nagata, the Special Operations commander for the United States in the Middle East, admitting that he had hardly begun figuring out the Islamic State’s appeal. “We have not defeated the idea,” he said. “We do not even understand the idea.” In the past year, President Obama has referred to the Islamic State, variously, as “not Islamic” and as al-Qaeda’s “jayvee team,” statements that reflected confusion about the group, and may have contributed to significant strategic errors.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Yeah, it pretty much is. They want political power and sex slaves, just like their idol, Mohammed. Satan could do much better if these pricks are his plan for doomsday.
this is a good article for a lib publication but it’s been posted half a dozen times.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/17/state-department-spokeswoman-floats-jobs-as-answer-to-isis/
Eggs-Zactly. And Dabiq is the key in thier apocalyptic minds.
Freegards
Lex
I kid you not!
This post, they at least got the thesis in there....
Glenn Beck was talking about this about an hour ago on his radio program.
Better for us if these were just a bunch of psychopaths. ISIS is attracting intellectuals, those who have studied the Koran and Islamic history, law and prophecy. They are intent on bringing about the end of the world because they believe allah has instructed them to do so, that there is no other way for a muslim to be a muslim. They are much more dangerous than a bunch of psychopaths.
I can find no thread on this article.
Dabiq is on the way to Jerusalem where the final battle is to be waged in their belief.
They IS fighters are all expecting to die to usher in the end. They want to die. We will see variants of this appearing around the world, dedicated warriors with apocalyptic zeal to usher in the end.
the source comments are up to over 4k!
IS’s strict adherence to Islamic teaching especially in regard to ushering in the end of the world which equals the beginning of worldwide Islam, is what is attracting so many muslims from around the world to it’s ranks.
They want battle, they want death, but not suicide. Engaging them on the battle field will increase their ranks. Utterly destroying them with mass bombing them all is the only way to remove them. Piecemeal battles will make them stronger. Caliphate must be removed by leaving them no land to establish a caliphate in.
What I take away from this article is why they are so attract to muslims who are joining them in large numbers from around the world. The current approach and military efforts against them is only making them stronger and larger.
Very good article, particulalrly in light of the source.
Astonishing given the source, which I had pretty much relegated to the lurid superficiality of the New York publishing wasteland.
The author's opinion is that the best strategy is containment and patience, and there is a good case to be made for that, because this particular manifestation of radical Islam has pretensions to empire and so is vulnerable to simple loss of territory. Kirkuk, Mosul, and points north to Kurdistan are obvious targets, and recent activities by the Kurds seem to indicate that somebody is pursuing that line of approach. ISIS has, with its Sunni tribal allies, pushed east to the Ramadi province, which is unlikely to effect any prophesied Armageddon in Syria. Here Sunni and Shi'a are again colliding as they have for nearly 1400 years. It's vital strategic territory but it doesn't represent any end game.
It is is west, in Syria, where the full folly of the 0bama administration's meddling has most harmed the cause of peace in the region. They want to fight us there, the U.S. specifically, the West generally. If we choose to engage it will not be on the order of any limited commitment - they'll be treating that as a long-desired endgame. If we engage there it will be a war of annihilation, and we'd better realize that before we commit to it.
With a defeat this thing can be popped like a balloon - it is inherently vulnerable to a setback, which feeds the all-in style of its more passionate converts. However, it is likely not to the advantage of al Qaeda to allow a complete defeat, simply a humbling, and one can easily see an alliance of rivals there. We'd better be ready for that as well.
Would-be Mahdis have been beaten before, notably in the Sudan, and their movements collapse when they are. The U.S. may have a long-term strategic interest in preventing this from going Nazi Germany, but at the moment the principal threat is regional. That could change.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.