NEW YORK, August 1 (RIA Novosti) – The United States must take swift action against the Islamic State (ISIS) militants who control swathes of Iraq and Syria before an opportunity is lost, the military expert Jessica Lewis told RIA Novosti.
“The ISIS threat is growing, threatening the permanent destruction of Iraq and Syria and exponential threats to US interests abroad. It is no longer a mere terrorist organization, but one that operates like an army – conquering land in Iraq and Syria to establish new ideological rule, in line with the global jihadist endgame,” said Lewis, a researcher at the US-based Institute for the Study of War.
“A strategy to defeat ISIS must focus on its military capacity and its political capacity to provide social services. The threat of ISIS is real and expanding, but ISIS is also vulnerable at its present political formation stage. It is vital to design a cogent counter-strategy, and soon, or this door will close,” the expert added.
The Islamic State, which is also called ISIS and ISIL, captured tracts of Iraq last month and has gained ground Syria, where it is one of the most potent forces in a three-year-old civil war. The United States has sent military advisors to Iraq but stopped short of offering Baghdad decisive support.
