Originally published on the CGS blog on June 20, 2014.
It is undeniable that Iraq is in major trouble. Dozens of cities once thought to be impenetrable to jihadists have suddenly been overrun by ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), a militant group so violent that even Al Qaeda refuses to be associated with them. Gory videos have emerged on the Internet showing militants executing vast numbers of captured Iraqi soldiers in cold blood. Images of abandoned Iraqi troop posts have become commonplace on news networks, as many Iraqi soldiers have made the decision to escape with their lives rather than fight.
As a result, all eyes have turned to the White House and how the President of the most powerful nation in the world will respond. Indeed, many people have begun to wonder: what will Obama do?
Nobody truly knows the answer to this question, but we may have gotten some hints during the last few days. For instance, Obama recently declared that the option of “boots on the ground” is off the table, to the chagrin of many Republicans. Additionally, we have learned that Obama is considering authorizing US air strikes against ISIS, a measure that the head of the Iraqi government has requested.
In my opinion, however, Obama must respond in more ways than one if he wishes to end this recent reign of terror in Iraq. He must begin by addressing the roots of the problem, which lie in the two warring factions in Syria: the Sunnis and the Alawites. Obama must work with our allies to help end the conflict between these two ethnic groups, one that has allowed ISIS to seize control of unclaimed land and use it to further grow their terrorism base.
Obama must continue to encourage global cooperation to end human rights violations in Syria, as it is often victims of previous human rights abuses who end up joining the ISIS and other like-minded militant groups. Indeed, he must persuade other countries to finally agree to a UN Security Council resolution that would allow the International Criminal Court to investigate cases of human rights abuses in Syria.
President Obama definitely faces an uphill battle when it comes to the stopping the spill of violence and terror over the Syrian border and into Iraq. In fact, the future of Iraq seems bleak, with the crisis seemingly escalating every day as ISIS inches closer to its dream target: Baghdad. However, if the US is able to remain on the forefront of international cooperation, and continues to push for an investigation in human rights abuse by high-ranking Syrians, a glimmer of hope will remain–for a de-escalation of violence and terror in the future.
