U.S. To Deploy Expeditionary Targeting Force In Iraq To Combat Islamic State

Instability in the Middle East is becoming more complicated and volatile since the attacks that took place in Paris on Friday, November 13, 2015. International responses are favouring increased military action. For instance, the United States announced that they will deploy a specialised expeditionary targeting force in Iraq to combat the Islamic State. However, these actions represent an apparent breach of Obama’s administration, which had previously asserted that there would not be anymore “boots on the ground” in Iraq and Syria. Nonetheless, previous attempts of military intervention have failed to achieve positive outcomes, which some argue, is the root cause of the existing conflict.

 

In the past, military intervention in the Middle East has been the leading cause of many civilian deaths. To provide context, the U.S. had provided arms to rebel groups, who were fighting the pro-communist Soviets in the Soviet-Afghanistan War of 1978. This war consequently resulted in extensive civilian deaths and refugees seeking entry into Pakistan. Rebel factions, such as the Taliban, sought a place to breed and gain control. During this time, the Taliban plotted September 11, 2001, which resulted in the death of 2,977 civilians in America. Following the attacks on 9/11, the U.S. invaded Iraq, which launched the Iraq War of 2003.

 

The humanitarian crisis in the Middle East is due to internal political and military unrest. The United States’ involvement in this crisis has worsened conditions for civilians, which has contributed to the creation of untenable living environments. Basic necessities, such as water are becoming extremely scarce in most towns, with communities becoming dependent on external water tankers to survive. Meanwhile, a community south of Damascus, which used to have a population of 70,000, has now grown to 350,000 due to the rise of displaced persons. As well, the conditions of towns are regressing, with most homes receiving no electricity and running water. The deterioration of the living conditions in the Middle East is also being exacerbated by the surge in basic food prices. For instance, The United Nations World Food Program says that more than 6 million people need their assistance, which is more than a third of their population. In addition, schools in the area are being affected. In particular, more than 5,000 schools in Syria are not functioning due to the war as the premises are being used as military bases.

 

Moreover, the recent deployment of expeditionary forces in Iraq by the Obama administration, as well as special operations troops to Syria occurred without pre-determining whether the numbers and scope of troops will be increased over time. Representatives of the U.S. government claim that if the primary expeditionary forces are successful, then the intervention may increase, which might consequently exacerbate the existing violence and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. U.S. Defence Secretary, Ash Carter, explained that a specialised American expeditionary targeting force in Iraq would be positioned to carry out unilateral operations. The new force will work together with the Iraqi government and Kurdish Peshmerga to “conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and capture ISIL leaders.” However, many Republicans believe that Obama’s policy on military intervention is moving too slowly. Instead, their belief is that a fast-tracked coalition effort, along with more ground forces would defeat IS.

 

Meanwhile, in a recent statement, Mark Moyar, a scholar at the Foreign Ministry Initiative claimed that “the United States has employed a raiding strategy in a variety of countries, and the results have been far from encouraging. During the [George W.] Bush administration, huge numbers of raids failed to prevent the resurgence of the Taliban or the flourishing of Iraqi insurgent groups.” He further added that “the Obama administration’s reliance on Special Operations raids in Afghanistan ultimately failed to prevent the Taliban from gaining ground.”

 

Evidently, past strategies of sending troops have failed to have lasting effects. Thus, in spite of the fact that U.S. Foreign policy is highly militarized, their current efforts will not change the dynamics of the war in the near future as their methods are not effective. As such, while the U.S. has many responsibilities in the Middle East, these duties must be achieved through greater understanding of political and economic issues.

Related