The struggle by the Iraq-led coalition to fight Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) has to be more determined. Daesh has established a secure territory across parts of Iraq and Syria with a population of more than 10 million and it has not faced a serious military challenge that has been able to shake its morale.
This is why US President Barack Obama’s definition of America’s supposed strategy was disappointing. He emphasised the long-term nature of the war effort, the importance of any ground war being led by local forces and the necessity of encouraging stable governments in the region, as keys to stopping Daesh. He did not spell out how the US would expand its commitment to back Iraqi forces and he did not offer Iraq the substantial increase in military help that it needs. It is all very well to point to more than 5,000 air strikes by the coalition against Daesh in Iraq, Syria and North Africa, but this has not stopped Daesh from continuing to hold its territory and strengthening its ‘government’. Daesh is still in control of Mosul and hundreds of other Iraqi and Syrian towns and cities. And even if the recapture of Tikrit was one success for the Iraqi government, it has been matched by the loss of Ramadi.
The US and other Arab allies are right to work with regional governments to support stability, transparency and inclusivity, while also welcoming efforts by Muslim communities to reject warped interpretations of Islam and to protect young people from recruitment. It is also right to go after the financing of Daesh and cut it off from that vital benefit. But all this is not enough. The US and other international members of the coalition need to support Iraqi troops to defeat Daesh on the ground, which means that troops have to go in and fight it out, street by street, village by village, till Daesh is removed from the scene.