The latest round of atrocities by the militant group Daesh (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) needs to be thoroughly condemned. The execution of yet another American aid worker and 18 Syrian military personnel sends several grim messages at once — the most important being that the fight against Daesh must continue till it is rendered effete. Having said that, there is also an urgent need for US President Barack Obama to provide more clarity to his increasingly muddled military strategy. In fact, the US seems to be in danger of once again going down the usual rutted path driven by Obama’s lack of depth and clarity when it comes to his Middle East policies.
The latest executions by Daesh are tempting the western media to interpret it as a sign of Daesh’s desperation, and by extension, a mark of the success of the US-led offensive against it, but these are premature exultations. The ground reality is telling a different story. As such, the US and the coalition must infuse more clarity, efficacy — and a purpose removed from clouded outcomes — into their plan to defeat Daesh. Obama needs to rethink before he reacts.