An Integrated Strategy to Advance Middle East Stability

Brian Katulis, Hardin Lang, and Vikram Singh argue that combating ISIS in Iraq and Syria will require a concerted diplomatic and security strategy in coordination with U.S. allies around the world.

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Idea of the Day

U.S. airstrikes in Iraq against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, have been an important step to contain the rise of the extremist group, respond to immediate threats to U.S. citizens in Iraq, and prevent possible acts of genocide. These airstrikes enabled Iraqis to resist ISIS and bought time for the Iraqi government to begin building a more inclusive administration under a new prime minister, Haider al-Abadi. But as the Center for American Progress noted in a June report, U.S. military action needs to be just one part of a long-term multinational political and security strategy in the region.

The new strategy should aim to contain and degrade ISIS and enable regional partners to continue to build the tools needed to defeat ISIS’s movement with international support. This report outlines actions to advance three core strategic goals:

Contain and degrade the threat ISIS poses to the Middle East region and global security
Alleviate the humanitarian crisis affecting millions of Syrians and Iraqis
Restore the territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria

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Defeating ISIS: An Integrated Strategy to Advance Middle East Stability by Brian Katulis, Hardin Lang, and Vikram Singh

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