Is military intervention by external powers a cure?
- By Jin Liangxiang
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E-mail China.org.cn, January 4, 2016
However, despite the above-mentioned successes, external military intervention does not necessarily represent a solution to the ISIS threat and the threats of other terrorist organizations. The reason lies in that the experience of dealing with conventional security issues cannot be applied for handling non-conventional security threats. During the Gulf War, the target was the regular troops of a nation state under the control of a regime, and the objective of the Gulf War was counter-invasion. The operation was stopped short when Iraq's troops were driven back.
It is true that ISIS does have some features of conventional security threats since they have quasi-regular troops with meaningful size. That's the reason why Russian and U.S. air strikes have really worked. However, these above-mentioned successes do not necessarily mean external military intervention will be a final solution to the ISIS threat and those posed by other terrorist organizations.
ISIS and other terrorist organizations actually have more features of non-conventional security threats. They are actually rooted in vulnerable economic and social conditions and armed with an extremist religious ideology. Military intervention might be effective in destroying its physical existence, but cannot destroy its non-physical features. These ideologies and mentalities and their networking mechanisms are in fact bomb-proof.
The most effective way, I believe, might be in cutting off the channels that ISIS depends on for arms supply, oil smuggling, finance, and also internet systems, by which ISIS has been able to reach and recruit younger people beyond the region. All these actions actually demand joint efforts from regional countries. It is urgently necessary to develop a kind of coordination among regional powers along borders with regard to internet, infrastructure and financial control. A regional framework or mechanism is desperately needed to deal with issues.
The above-mentioned measures, even if proved to be successful, can only cure the symptoms. In the long term, measures will have to be taken to address the employment deficit problems. The purpose should be to keep young people employed. Otherwise, they will go to the streets and battlefields.
All in all, external military intervention can be effective in some ways, but is far from being a cure. Development will be the final wayout.
Last but not least, military intervention by external powers should be regarded as positive generally, but the potential negative effects are profound. These major external powers can be regarded as seriously fighting against terrorism, but they are also fighting for their own geopolitical influence in the region. The conflicts between them now and after the demise of ISIS will be a serious problem for the Middle East.
The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:
http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/jinliangxiang.htm
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