ISIL ‘a Very Complex Threat,’ Dempsey Says in Marshall Islands

SSG Norman Lihou — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 21:47:14 -0500

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey made the comments in a town hall meeting here, in his first visit to this tiny atoll in the Pacific, the site of a World War II battle and the home of the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll/Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site.

Following the town hall that featured about 200 attendees, Dempsey noted how crises in the Middle East continue to demand significant attention even as he travels to discuss U.S. security interests in the Pacific.

Read more:
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=128216

U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said regional governments must take the lead in solving the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 22 at 2015 8:55 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 20:55:32 -0500

I would say that's an understatement, SSG Norman Lihou, that ISIL is a very complex threat. We do think of them as brutal murderers, but they have something (their extremist Islamic ideology) that appeals in a big way to some younger Muslims.

Solving this complex problem will take more than just brute force. That much is clear. Kind of like thinking we were going to defeat guerillas in Vietnam with our superior firepower.

As General Dempsey says, "It's tough, and it's tough to figure out how to use the military in that environment."

I like that "we" are looking at these options, in addition to military force, because I think some of these alternative efforts can successfully address the ISIL threat: "Reconstruction, counter-messaging, stopping the flow of foreign fighters, and stopping terror financing ... are all needed to create conditions that will defeat the extremists."