HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

3 Reasons to NOT Fight ISIS

Views:924
@ReasonVids

President Obama has effectively declared war on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, announcing that "we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIS through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy."

But here are three reasons we should not be fighting ISIS in the Middle East.

  1. ISIS isn’t that powerful.

War hawks such as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) claim that "the threat ISIS poses cannot be overstated." That is itself an overstatement. The FBI and Homeland Security both say ISIS isn’t a credible threat to the American homeland. The group may be great at using social media to exaggerate its power, but estimates of its troop strength range between 10,000 and 30,000 and most analysts talk about a core group of a few thousand fighters.

  1. It’s a regional conflict.

ISIS controls territory inside Iraq and Syria. But even President Obama concedes that ISIS does not currently pose a threat "beyond that region."

Iraq and Syria—and their neighbors, including Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the Kurds—are the ones that must deal with this problem. Iraq’s army has more than one-quarter of a million U.S.-trained troops, the Peshmerga almost as many. Iran’s active forces number over half a million.

  1. What counts as victory?

In announcing bombing runs and sending more American soliders to the Middle East, President Obama not only failed to call for congressional authorization, he neglected to discuss any sort of exit strategy. That’s a prerequisite for any responsible war plan. As important, his definition of success—we will "ultimately destroy" ISIS—is a goal nobody has ever achieved against any terrorist group.

Let’s be clear: The U.S. should do everything it can to defend its citizens and its interests.

But if the past dozen years have taught us anything—in Iraq and elsehwere—it’s that war is more complicated than our leaders ever want to admit. And it’s a lot easier to start wars than to win them—or even know when they’re over.

About 2 minutes.

Written by Nick Gillespie and produced by Meredith Bragg. Camera by Todd Krainin and Amanda Winkler.

Visit http://www.reason.com/reason.tv for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube channel for automatic notifications when new videos go online.

Related reading: "Ending Evil vs. Defending the Country," by Jacob Sullum.

reason
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reason magazine
,
libertarian
,
isis
,
isil
,
war
,
obama
,
iraq
,
syria
    Thumbnail for Anal Probes Run Amok: Drug-Sniffing Dogs Must Be Stopped.4:18
    Anal Probes Run Amok: Drug-Sniffing Dogs Must Be Stopped.
    ReasonVids
    915 views
    Thumbnail for CAPTAIN KIRK TO BROTHER JED7:40
    CAPTAIN KIRK TO BROTHER JED
    ReasonVids
    876 views
    Thumbnail for "News Reporter" Caught Pushing bullshit Fear Piece2:19
    "News Reporter" Caught Pushing bullshit Fear Piece
    AOU
    2381 views
    Thumbnail for 9/11's Lesson: War Doesn’t Work58:07
    9/11's Lesson: War Doesn’t Work
    ReasonVids
    903 views
    Thumbnail for Tom Easton on Dodd-Frank: "A Terrible Law"4:15
    Tom Easton on Dodd-Frank: "A Terrible Law"
    ReasonVids
    738 views
    Thumbnail for Comedian Ahmed Albasheer: The U.S. Invasion Created a Thousand Saddams50:41
    Comedian Ahmed Albasheer: The U.S. Invasion Created a Thousand Saddams
    ReasonVids
    855 views
    Thumbnail for Neuroscientist Carl Hart: Science Says We Should Decriminalize Drugs22:17
    Neuroscientist Carl Hart: Science Says We Should Decriminalize Drugs
    ReasonVids
    922 views
    Thumbnail for Donald Trump 'Needs Power' Says Biographer0:16
    Donald Trump 'Needs Power' Says Biographer
    ReasonVids
    956 views
    Thumbnail for Tools of the Raid | Live From The Lair17:45
    Tools of the Raid | Live From The Lair
    Terrence Popp
    1317 views
    Thumbnail for Why America Should Default and You Should Live Abroad: Q&A with Doug Casey6:04
    Why America Should Default and You Should Live Abroad: Q&A with Doug Casey
    ReasonVids
    879 views
    Thumbnail for Why 1995 is the Year that Created the Future26:39
    Why 1995 is the Year that Created the Future
    ReasonVids
    899 views
    Thumbnail for CHEVRON TIENE 30 DÍAS PARA SALIR DE VENEZUELA | AHORA MISMO1:00
    CHEVRON TIENE 30 DÍAS PARA SALIR DE VENEZUELA | AHORA MISMO
    invidious
    79 views
    Thumbnail for 'If you have a central bank, you're 50% communist out of the gate.'48:54
    'If you have a central bank, you're 50% communist out of the gate.'
    ReasonVids
    821 views
    Thumbnail for Gary Johnson, Benghazi, and Free Speech: Reason's December Ish!3:36
    Gary Johnson, Benghazi, and Free Speech: Reason's December Ish!
    ReasonVids
    905 views
    Thumbnail for Nevada Families Fight ACLU's Attempt to Destroy School Choice6:53
    Nevada Families Fight ACLU's Attempt to Destroy School Choice
    ReasonVids
    906 views
    Thumbnail for Diversity in trucking...1:19
    Diversity in trucking...
    AOUisgay
    430 views
    Thumbnail for The Star Wars Economy is Bigger Than You Think8:57
    The Star Wars Economy is Bigger Than You Think
    ReasonVids
    936 views
    Thumbnail for Fight Over Chair0:47
    Fight Over Chair
    bestofvoatxyz
    721 views
    Thumbnail for Minecraft with 1000 working crosshairs... | Element X9:19
    Minecraft with 1000 working crosshairs... | Element X
    invidious
    325 views
    Thumbnail for Nope Nope Nope1:48
    Nope Nope Nope
    bestofvoatxyz
    532 views
    Thumbnail for ENA PLUSHIES! | Joel G0:50
    ENA PLUSHIES! | Joel G
    invidious
    340 views
    Thumbnail for Nigga Heil Hitler (Female version)3:00
    Nigga Heil Hitler (Female version)
    bestofupgoat
    68 views
    Thumbnail for Stossel: Free-Market Social Security6:00
    Stossel: Free-Market Social Security
    ReasonVids
    1086 views
    Thumbnail for How Much is A College Football Player Worth?7:14
    How Much is A College Football Player Worth?
    ReasonVids
    1037 views
    Thumbnail for Elite Russian Military Hacker, HACKED | Seytonic5:55
    Elite Russian Military Hacker, HACKED | Seytonic
    invidious
    453 views

points

Permalink
Reply
reason
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reason magazine
,
libertarian
,
isis
,
isil
,
war
,
obama
,
iraq
,
syria
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle