Will ISIS brutality backfire?

[webfact]

Will ISIS brutality backfire?
By Jason Miks, CNN

Editor's note: Is ISIS actually sealing its own fate with the release of these gruesome beheading videos? How effective will military strikes really be? CNN hosts an email discussion on the threat posed by ISIS and how the U.S. should respond. CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank, former CIA analysts and terrorism experts Cindy Storer and Nada Bakos, and Brookings Institution fellow Shadi Hamid offer their takes.
The comments have been edited for clarity and style.

(CNN) -- The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has managed to shock the world by releasing videos of the executions of two American journalists, a British aid worker and now a French tourist. The U.S. said Thursday that it believes it has identified the man in the video showing the execution of James Foley.

Either way, do you think the brutality on display could prove counterproductive? Is ISIS actually sealing its own fate in the long term with this tactic?

Paul Cruickshank: Yes, I think these videos will ultimately prove counterproductive to ISIS. The group's main goal is to create an Islamic state in Syria, Iraq and the surrounding countries. But these videos, along with the videos they post of themselves carrying out indescribably brutal massacres of thousands of Syrians and Iraqis, have shocked the world and rallied a growing coalition of powers to confront them. And even more importantly, ISIS's extreme brutality will inevitably eventually lead to a backlash from Sunnis across Iraq and Syria.

But while these videos horrify the vast majority of Muslims, they resonate with the group's radical support base around the world. This means that in the short term, they're generating a recruitment windfall. The beheadings make ISIS look 10 feet tall in the eyes of these extremists, able to stand up to a superpower waging a war on Islam and strike terror in the hearts of the disbelievers. Their selective and distorted interpretation of the Quran makes them convinced these brutal executions are sanctioned by God.

Full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/25/opinion/cruickshank-storer-hamid-bakos-isis/index.html

-- CNN 2014-09-26

[JetsetBkk]

Will it backfire? A cruise missile up your back passage says "Yes".

[uptheos]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

[2befrank]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

Not really that easy... They just use the Hamas tactic of using innocent people as shields. These ISIS will simply hide among the population of the towns they have captured to make it nigh on impossible to pick them out and destroy them... The coalition will literally have to take on massive numbers of 'collateral damage' that will eventually infuriate the entire Muslim world.

ISIS aint stupid. It is24/7 indiscriminate bombing that will in fact backfire on the US.

This has to be done with ground troops with full help from the Islamic countries providing ground troops to flush them out one by one and execute them without mercy or trial.

Remember Falluja??...... It worked there and only took 3 days and not a single Iraqi terrorist was left alive. So it works, but better if the soldiers are Islamics to minimise backlash..... Also choke the ISIS funding by boycotting all oil from Qatar and Saudi Arabia because they are the main backers and funders of ISIS. This can be done by blocking all their ports, and freeze all Qatar and Saudi bank accounts in the west.

[harryfrompattaya]

I am sorry to bring up.

At the beginning they were kicking A** but by the end

They got creamed and are still complaining the Allies used to much Air Power

[lee b]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

agreed 100%

[2befrank]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

agreed 100%

Really?

Well it won't work, it has never worked anywhere else and it won't work here or in the future.

Relentless ariel bombing will just kill loads of innocent people, provide ISIS with all the propaganda pictures they want, US and coalition will lose support for the campaign and will only serve to drive many more muslims to fight against the infidel that is indiscriminately bombing poor innocent muslin women, children and elderly.

It will never work as long as Obama has a hole in his arse.

[circusman]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

Your way off the mark saying not hard. Maybe you should look to accuracy instead of high numbers of posts.

[rethaier]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

agreed 100%

Really?

Well it won't work, it has never worked anywhere else and it won't work here or in the future.

Relentless ariel bombing will just kill loads of innocent people, provide ISIS with all the propaganda pictures they want, US and coalition will lose support for the campaign and will only serve to drive many more muslims to fight against the infidel that is indiscriminately bombing poor innocent muslin women, children and elderly.

It will never work as long as Obama has a hole in his arse.

I too feel it will not work. As a Vietnam vet I can attest to the ineffectiveness of massive bombing. It is definitely going to require troops on the ground picking them off one by one. We cannot be like Israel and just bomb arbitrarily. I had a dog once and had to cut off it's tail. I did not really have the heart for the task and did not bring the axe down heavy enough and the dog bit me. I learned from this that you must bring the axe down heavy and do the job quickly.

[uptheos]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

agreed 100%

Really?

Well it won't work, it has never worked anywhere else and it won't work here or in the future.

Relentless ariel bombing will just kill loads of innocent people, provide ISIS with all the propaganda pictures they want, US and coalition will lose support for the campaign and will only serve to drive many more muslims to fight against the infidel that is indiscriminately bombing poor innocent muslin women, children and elderly.

It will never work as long as Obama has a hole in his arse.

Nice to hear someone acknowledge the tactics of these fanatics.

I'm sure they took careful note of how Hamas does it.

[Tanlic]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

agreed 100%

Really?

Well it won't work, it has never worked anywhere else and it won't work here or in the future.

Relentless ariel bombing will just kill loads of innocent people, provide ISIS with all the propaganda pictures they want, US and coalition will lose support for the campaign and will only serve to drive many more muslims to fight against the infidel that is indiscriminately bombing poor innocent muslin women, children and elderly.

It will never work as long as Obama has a hole in his arse.

But are they innocent?

We have seen what ISIS do to non supporters.

Don't assume these people think the same as you. Many will support ISIS and preach ISIS to their young because they beleive ISIS are doing the right thing.

There will always be collateral damage in war especially during air strikes but's what are the alternatives.

Send our young men in and fight them on the ground?

Stop bombing and aloow ISIS to expand until you open your front door to some arab yielding an AK47

Obama is using the best weapons he has to try and eradicate a threat to the wordl without the loss of western lives.

I couldn't care less if they turn the entire area into a car park if it saves one coalition soldiers life.

We hear about good muslims every day. Some of whm are in positions of power yet failed to stop the growth of ISIS now Obama and Co. are supposed to risk the lives of our people instead of bombing?

I think not

[JockPieandBeans]

Call it a War, Campaign, Strategic Strikes, Anti terrorist Operations or any other fancy titles you want to apply.

You will not triumph unless you have boots on the ground.

[arjunadawn]

It will not backfire. It will backfire. How's that? It may backfire in perceptions regarding demonizing IS. Demonization is a timeless requirement for motivating a people to war. Thus IS may have motivated more than it prefers at the moment. But that which is IS will change. The dynamics of modern jihad are constantly in flux because it is evolving and has a core foundation around which it continues to re consolidate around- Islamic mandate.

But the brutality is really in the eyes of nonmuslims. The Koran is actually nonstop examples of beheadings and similar barbarities. Thus Muslims would be exposed to this throughout their lives. Personally many might recoil but the prophets life is worthy of emulation as the Perfect Man, and such actions were widespread in the conduct of his final suras. Having pushed the imaginary line of brutality further than is common these days you'll now see increasing acts such as this, throughout the world. IS may pay a price as Malcolm Gladwell has suggested in "The Tipping Point," this brutality will likely make barbarity more commonplace to jihadis rather then they're withdrawing to more moderate horror (as viewed through the eyes of the west); poppycock! It'll now be more common; a standard even. It actually recreates the very conditions of the prophets Later Mecca days.

[flyingdoc]

2beFrank is unfortunately probably right!

[Seastallion]

" do you think the brutality on display could prove counterproductive? Is ISIS actually sealing its own fate in the long term with this tactic?"

Just putting it out there, not really something I'd like to believe, but....The beheadings had a predictable result of outrage. It's well known that collateral damage is acceptable to governments, especially, it seems, the US. Doing the videos yourself (noone sees the actual death blow) and then quietly and humanely killing the victim somewhere else would be a great way to garner public support for an impending invasion that you have been planning for some time, and all it took was a few innocent lives and a video camera. Cheap at the cost.

Maybe ISIS didn't do it???

[arjunadawn]

" do you think the brutality on display could prove counterproductive? Is ISIS actually sealing its own fate in the long term with this tactic?"

Just putting it out there, not really something I'd like to believe, but....The beheadings had a predictable result of outrage. It's well known that collateral damage is acceptable to governments, especially, it seems, the US. Doing the videos yourself (noone sees the actual death blow) and then quietly and humanely killing the victim somewhere else would be a great way to garner public support for an impending invasion that you have been planning for some time, and all it took was a few innocent lives and a video camera. Cheap at the cost.

Maybe ISIS didn't do it???

I totally agree with this and your other recent post. It's so damn suspicious that it can hardly be overlooked. It's to the point where modern social media is so finely manipulated that humans have become nothing more than dolts- fools racing from one emotive state to the next. The modern precursors to justify war are comical if it the outcome wasn't so tragic.

[Scott]

Conspiracy posts and replies deleted. Continued off-topic, troll posts will result in suspensions.

[bigjules007]

Wow even TV seems to be controlled by the Zionists!

[MJP]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

agreed 100%

Not agreed 100%. You have to kill the extremist ideology to wipe this out.

[Tonto21]

You can not defeat terrorist tactics with conventional warfare tactics......Not my sayso, just a fact taken from history. the only terrorist action/insurgents, (communist in this case) to be stopped and reversed was by the British in Burma, The British move into the jungle and lived with the locals in small units....Stayed there, won hearts and minds and took on the 'bad guys' face to face.......Job done.

Unfortunately todays 'bad guys' have no scruples no sense of right and wrong, just there own warped view of what they want, and make no mistake. most of us don't fit into their world view!

So....Like it or not, and the squeamish won't, there is only one way to defeat an enemy that has stated and consistently re-enforces his want to extinguish all who do not believe his ideology...........

Grind these maggots into past before they have the capability to do it to you and your loved ones and our way of life........Is there anyone out there who still thinks we are in a negotiation phase with these <deleted>*kers?........Think again we ARE at war. The only reason you are not reading this post sat in some underground shelter is because THEY lack the destruction delivery capability at this time..................................................

As for collateral damage? You all have a say/choice.........You can carry on wringing your hands over the collateral damage in taking these maggots out........And saying "Oh won't someone think of the babies" ......and if you do...you best also stock up on bin bags for your loved ones body parts, because when these <deleted> manage to reach out to where you are, they will not give a shit about your liberal views. Or back the total annihilation of these <deleted>*kers......

There is no middle ground!

[devaram]

There is no one who thinks bombs alone can win war but it can ruin their income and ability to move freely.

They may hide among civilians but eventually the civilians may run away or turn on them as well if they can do it without getting themselves killed. IS may not be destroyed by bombs but could be degraded to the point of being almost irrelevant. My sincere hope is that bombing civilian areas will be avoided. They should have learned that lesson by now.

[F430murci]

Waking up to a beautiful, peaceful morning with a great view out my bedroom window and ready to enjoy another day in paradise, confident that I will be safe thought out the day and can enjoy a wonderful, safe and relaxing weekend with my family and friends. Have so many choices on food, entertainment and surrounded by happy, good hard working people. No complaints.

Why is this? Smart people in the US armed with full facts and knowledge (unlike those on here) make tough decisions everyday to provide the life I and Americans enjoy everyday. For that I am grateful and while I may not always agree on the means or the timing if the means, I agree on the ends.

Lol at those on here that follow every single thread arguably about US merely so you can bash the US. Incredibly sad to live with so much negativity or frustration.

[Mosha]

You can't fight these people with a rule book. Round up the leaders families. Take a hint from how Russia stopped Hizbollah

[Mosha]

Wow even TV seems to be controlled by the Zionists!

If IS were Zionists you would see the left's hypocrisy at full tilt

[JDGRUEN]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

agreed 100%

Really?

Well it won't work, it has never worked anywhere else and it won't work here or in the future.

Relentless ariel bombing will just kill loads of innocent people, provide ISIS with all the propaganda pictures they want, US and coalition will lose support for the campaign and will only serve to drive many more muslims to fight against the infidel that is indiscriminately bombing poor innocent muslin women, children and elderly.

It will never work as long as Obama has a hole in his arse.

I too feel it will not work. As a Vietnam vet I can attest to the ineffectiveness of massive bombing. It is definitely going to require troops on the ground picking them off one by one. We cannot be like Israel and just bomb arbitrarily. I had a dog once and had to cut off it's tail. I did not really have the heart for the task and did not bring the axe down heavy enough and the dog bit me. I learned from this that you must bring the axe down heavy and do the job quickly.

Back then we didn't massive amounts of ultra-smart bombs and missiles that can hit a garbage can lid from 20,000 feet... Big Difference!

[lvr181]

Doesn't really matter if it will back fire or not.

They should soon be confined to the history books as deleted from the earth, extinct.

It's not hard to do, just have to pound them relentlessly 24/7 and without mercy.

agreed 100%

Really?

Well it won't work, it has never worked anywhere else and it won't work here or in the future.

Relentless ariel bombing will just kill loads of innocent people, provide ISIS with all the propaganda pictures they want, US and coalition will lose support for the campaign and will only serve to drive many more muslims to fight against the infidel that is indiscriminately bombing poor innocent muslin women, children and elderly.

It will never work as long as Obama has a hole in his arse.

Criticism can be acceptable with a viable alternative?

Or are you one who would find reasons for doing nothing rather than finding reasons how to deal with the problem?

[Thorgal]

IS terrorist threats also started now in North Africa.

A French citizen has been beheaded by a IS fraction for the French latest military actions in Syria and Iraq.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/video-purportedly-shows-beheading-of-french-hostage-in-algeria-1411576573

Pandora's box is far from closed...

[Lukecan]

Call it a War, Campaign, Strategic Strikes, Anti terrorist Operations or any other fancy titles you want to apply.

You will not triumph unless you have boots on the ground.

You can support the Iraqi army and the peshmarga by air.

[arjunadawn]

Call it a War, Campaign, Strategic Strikes, Anti terrorist Operations or any other fancy titles you want to apply.

You will not triumph unless you have boots on the ground.

You can support the Iraqi army and the peshmarga by air.

There are so many caveats to this debacle its hard to see how anything good can come from it. Regarding the Kurds, they will not want to repel IS to the point of empowering Baghdad. They do want IS off their back, but the Kurds have always had a stated goal of a State. Returning all powers to Shia Baghdad just returns to the previous status quo. So, I can see us supporting the pershmerga considerably, but they will only support us insofar as it serves their purposes. Good for them, too.

[Robby nz]

Waking up to a beautiful, peaceful morning with a great view out my bedroom window and ready to enjoy another day in paradise, confident that I will be safe thought out the day and can enjoy a wonderful, safe and relaxing weekend with my family and friends. Have so many choices on food, entertainment and surrounded by happy, good hard working people. No complaints.

Why is this? Smart people in the US armed with full facts and knowledge (unlike those on here) make tough decisions everyday to provide the life I and Americans enjoy everyday. For that I am grateful and while I may not always agree on the means or the timing if the means, I agree on the ends.

Lol at those on here that follow every single thread arguably about US merely so you can bash the US. Incredibly sad to live with so much negativity or frustration.

Do you really believe that the quality of life you have in Thailand is because of the actions of the US Govt over the years ?

Those of us who can look from outside are more able to see the trouble caused by the failed intervention policies one of which has with little doubt brought on the trouble we now see in Iraq.

America has done some good things for the world but trying to push its version of Govt on to countries and people who don't want it is not one of them.

If you want to call looking at the big picture with realism and seeing where fault lies bashing then that's up to you.

Have a nice weekend, I know I will, free of frustration.