Obama’s “Four Point Strategy” to combat ISIS
Just one day after President Obama’s prime-time promise that terrorists with the Islamic State would be destroyed, some say he’s not doing enough.
“I think it was very important that he do that because so many things in the past month or three weeks or so have really shaken the world and he really needed to speak to the American people and say that we are doing things,” said Tyler Velte, a student from Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
But it’s a question of how the U.S. plans to address ISIS.
“The strategy that we are using now,” President Obama explained, “Airstrikes, Special Forces, and working with local forces who are fighting to regain control of their own country. It won’t require us sending a new generation of Americans overseas to fight and die for another decade on foreign soil.”
According to CNN, President Obama is also calling for stronger screenings on people arriving in the U.S. without a visa and more gun control.
For some, his Four-Point Strategy is already getting two thumbs down. Some presidential candidates don’t believe it’s enough. Middlebury Institute of International Studies Professor Dr. Jeffrey Bale feels the same.
“The problem is the elites in Western countries simply don’t want to face reality,” Dr. Bale said.
He believes President Obama is underestimating the threat of ISIS. Because of this misunderstanding, his policies are ineffective. He is advocating for a more aggressive approach.
“They’ve identified us as their enemies,” Dr. Bale said. “So when somebody is identifying you as their enemy, the least you should do is respect them enough to take them seriously. And say, you’ve identified us as your enemy, we will identify you as our enemy. And now that we’ve recognized you as our enemy, we are going to take whatever steps are necessary to weaken you and prevent you from carrying out attacks.”
Dr. Bale believes there should be an international coalition, made up of countries threatened by these extremists. The coalition should coordinate operations to deal with this common threat.
And at home, stronger counter-terrorism and security measures.
“We have to gather intelligence about dangerous groups and dangerous individuals.”
President Obama also urged Americans to not discriminate against Muslim-Americans, saying they are friends, neighbors and men and women in uniform who are willing to die for the country. It was a sentiment echoed by students at MIIS.
