The Virtue of Patience: Defeating ISIS and AQ

William Danvers argues why the battle against the Islamic State will require creative strategy and patience.

As President Obama discusses terrorism strategy with European leaders, he can claim credit for the progress being made in the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. ISIS is losing territory. It is losing money. Its cyber network is being attacked, which will make its recruitment efforts more difficult. All signs point toward a significant diminishing of ISIS in Iraq and potentially Syria.

While efforts in Syria and Iraq are essential components in the battle against ISIS, the overall war against ISIS and other terrorist organizations is by no means limited to Syria and Iraq. ISIS is morphing from an organization that was primarily focused on establishing a caliphate in Iraq and Syria to being more operational globally, and in Europe in particular, but also in Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia through its nodes or affiliates. It is also establishing a base of operations in Libya.

The above excerpt was originally published in The Huffington Post. Click here to view the full article.

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