How Daesh should be fought

Alone in France in 2015, according to Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve in an interview with TV channel France 5, eleven attacks "similar to those of November 13th" were prevented. When we look at Europe as a whole, we can see the extent of Islamist terror and in particular the danger posed by a major structure behind it, such as the Islamic State (IS) - colloquially and derogatorily named "Daesch". Yesterday it was Berlin's turn with a truck attack on a Christmas market in the style of the massacre in Nice. Martin van Creveld is one of the leading military historians worldwide. He has also dealt intensively with topics such as guerrilla warfare/terrorism and counterinsurgency. Against this background, he addresses the question of how the fight against IS/Daesch can be consistently and successfully conducted on SPARTANAT. The article was originally published on SPARTANAT in January 2016, but for reasons of topicality, we are republishing it today:

Since Daesch was first perceived internationally in the spring of 2014, a huge amount of ink has been wasted on describing issues such as the relationship between IS and its mother organization al-Qaeda, its goals, its special appeal to Muslim volunteers from all over the world, and also the methods of IS - the latter, it turns out, are directly derived from the days when Mohammed and his followers launched their first terrorist and conquest campaign. Including beheadings, crucifixions and the enslavement of both men and women. Those interested are welcome to consult the existing literature; I want to focus here on the most important question of all, namely how to fight and defeat Daesch.

We must distinguish four different areas of action, namely:

1. Syria and Iraq. At its core, Daesch is the product of the foolish American invasion of Iraq. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak predicted the outcome by using a traditional Islamic image, saying "the gates of hell have been opened". Daesch originated in these two countries and the majority of its fighters are concentrated there. The core of the problem is political. Presidents Obama, Putin, and Erdogan must finally decide who the main enemy is and collaborate against it. Even if it means that President Assad remains in office, at least temporarily. The USA, Russia, and Turkey must lead a joint air offensive against Daesch, targeting their forces in Syria as well as the oil fields in Iraq, where they generate their income. However, after over a year of airstrikes by air force and drones, it is clear that airstrikes alone will not be enough. This requires the support of Syrian ground forces. It must be said that this means joining forces with some very unpleasant characters and countries. But what other choice is there? As long as the main forces and leadership of Daesch are not destroyed, terrorism will continue. If not here, then there, and if not there, then somewhere else.

As long as the main forces and leadership of Daesch are not destroyed, terrorism will continue. If not here, then there, and if not there, then somewhere else.

2. France and Europe. Stop lamenting and start controlling immigration by all necessary means - with the goal of bringing it to a complete halt. Also, at sea, with a view to Libya. Install interconnected, passive defense facilities. This means guards, metal detectors, and surveillance cameras in every parking garage, school, university, theater, etc. If necessary, security personnel should be armed and trained in self-defense. Such measures are by no means as expensive as they sound. Europe has plenty of unemployed people. They would be happy to work, and their wages can be offset by what they currently cost. A profiling system must be used in the most sensitive areas, such as airports, grouping people into different levels of risk, with special scrutiny given to those who pose a higher risk. Profiling may not seem particularly democratic. Regardless, experience shows that it works. Establish a voluntary neighborhood watch - no one knows the neighborhood better than the people who live there. Give them the technical means to call for reinforcements quickly when necessary, and let them work closely with local police. This method also has the advantage that people can get involved and gives them the feeling that they can do something to help. Any damage caused by terrorists must be repaired as quickly as possible so that everyone can return to normal life as soon as possible.

Strengthen your intelligence services. Provide them with the most advanced surveillance equipment and create laws that allow them to use it. Focus on communication.

3. The intelligence services. Passive measures alone are not enough. What is needed is a highly qualified organization that can identify terrorists, hunt them down, thwart their plans in advance, and either arrest them - or kill them if necessary. At the same time, the money flows on which the terrorists depend must be tracked down and dried up. So, strengthen your intelligence services. Provide them with the most advanced surveillance equipment and create laws that allow them to use it. Focus on communication. By making it difficult for terrorists and their supporters to communicate with each other, you deprive them of their influence. Within national borders, ensure that the individual departments work together. Beyond borders, ensure that borders do not impede the flow of information. In other words, the services should work closely with their counterparts in other countries, as well as with the police. A pan-European intelligence coordinator responsible for overall coordination would certainly be useful. Do the political problems that such an office would cause to the establishment make it an unachievable dream? If so, it probably shouldn't be...

4. The courts. A key part of any anti-terror campaign is deterrence. So make sure that the judges have the powers to do what needs to be done. The establishment of a special jurisdiction with special authority for such cases should be considered. The punishment of the guilty should be appropriate and swift after the terrorists are apprehended. It should also receive broad media attention.

These are the key elements of any successful anti-terror campaign. In addition to things that need to be done, I would also like to give some recommendations on what not to do:

1. It must be prevented at all costs that a mob attacks or lynches real or perceived terrorists without due process. Blind and indiscriminate attacks can cause great injustice, e.g. by mistaking individuals. Worse yet, they encourage the population group from which the terrorists come to stick together and retaliate. Ultimately, this can lead to exactly what one wants to prevent, namely civil war.

The war on terror will not be won quickly. So, no quick results should be expected.

2. For the same reason, collective punishment should be avoided. It is highly likely that they will only have counterproductive effects.

3. The war on terror will not be won quickly. So no quick results should be expected, and the actors should not be discouraged by setbacks. To ensure that the population understands this, a sustainable PR campaign is needed to explain why these measures are all necessary, and why all the inconveniences they bring are necessary.

Good luck!

MARTIN VAN CREVELD, one of the leading military historians of our time, was born in Holland in 1946. Since 1950 he has been living in Israel. He studied at the London School of Economics and at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he has been a professor of history since 1971. Books include: "Kampfkraft", "Faces of War", "The Sword and the Olive", "Rise and Decline of the State",... Additionally, he works as a military consultant and lecturer across the Western world.

Martin van Creveld on the Internet: www.martin-van-creveld.com

Martin van Creveld on SPARTANAT: A Thirty-Year War?