UPDATE – 18 April 2016: The bombing campaign against the so-called “Islamic State” is coming up to its two-year anniversary. Pentagon officials are claiming the campaign has been a huge success, with over 25,000 militants killed and IS’s effective fighting force at its lowest numbers in two years.

It’s true that IS has been losing territory in both Iraq and Syria, and the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga are preparing a major offensive against Mosul. However, IS has also been exploiting the chaos in Libya to expand its operations there, and has been conducting a series of brutal terrorist operations in Belgium, France, Turkey, Tunisia, Yemen, and elsewhere. Almost two years on, has the bombing campaign against IS been effective? What will it take to stop them completely?

ORIGINAL – 23 June 2015: More than eight months have passed since airstrikes began against the so-called “Islamic State”. Over 6,000 targets in Iraq and Syria have been bombed by a coalition of regional and international partners, including the United States, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands.

Despite advances made by Kurdish forces in Syria, it’s difficult to gauge the success of the campaign against the “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” (variously known by the acronyms ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh). “Islamic State” now reportedly controls half of Syria, after seizing the historic city of Palmyra in recent weeks. It still hold Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, and occupies more than half of Anbar province in Western Iraq (last month adding Ramadi, the provincial capital, to its gains).

We had a comment sent in from Les saying he fully supports coalition airstrikes as a way to stop what he calls “ISIL terrorists”… but how effective is the bombing campaign in its objectives?

To get a response, we recently attended an event in Brussels hosted by our partner think tank, Friends of Europe, looking at a comprehensive solution to the rise of the so-called “Islamic State” in Iraq and Syria. At the event, we had the chance to speak to Jamal Al-Dhari, President of the Peace Ambassadors for Iraq NGO and a senior Iraqi tribal leader. What was his opinion about the airstrikes?

al-dhariIt’s impossible to win the war against Daesh with airstrikes, especially if these airstrikes take place in civilian areas. Because, on the ground, Daesh is actually mixing together with civilians. So, in fact, these airstrikes are actually helping to recruit people to Daesh, because the families of civilians killed in the bombing campaign want revenge.

So, how can support for Islamic State be undermined, both regionally and internationally? According to recent UN estimates, more than 25,000 foreign terrorist fighters have left their countries to fight, the overwhelming majority of them travelling to join groups in Iraq and Syria, as well as in the conflicts in Afghanistan, Libya and Yemen. Of these groups, Islamic State currently attracts the biggest share of foreign fighters.

Curious to know more about the security risk to Europe from returning fighters? We’ve put together some facts and figures in the infographic below (click for a bigger version).

ISIS_outlined-01

We had a comment from Maia, arguing that Islamic State was particularly effective in the propaganda war online, using social networks and video sharing sites to promote its agenda.

We asked Doug Frantz, the US State Department’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, to respond to Maia’s comment. How can European governments more effectively counter the narrative from Islamic State?

Finally, we spoke to Paul Hamill, Director of Strategy and Communications for the American Security Project, a non-profit public policy and research organisation based in Washington D.C. How would he respond to Les comment arguing in support of the bombing campaign against Islamic State?

We also had a comment sent in by Belinda, arguing in favour of stronger intervention from Western countries in the region. Did Paul Hamill believe that “boots on the ground” may be necessary to stabilise the situation in Syria and / or Iraq? Or would it be completely counter-productive?

What will it take to stop the rise of the so-called “Islamic State”? And what are the security risks to Europe, including the threat of returning fighters? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!

IMAGE CREDITS: CC / Flickr – Freedom House


305 comments Post a commentcomment

  What do YOU think?

    • avatar
      Yordan Vasilev

      Yes! Don’t buy petrol from them, besiege them and judge them as criminals. They are no heroes, they are killers.

    • avatar
      irq14

      Correct answer in part, however we must treat them the same way in capture and ending them for the world to see. No more meetings. Infertra and eliminate them since they enjoy simulating with citizens. Its time to stop playing games with them and bring in sleepers and do this.

    • avatar
      Vishal

      They should not be financially supported and also the should work together against them.

  1. avatar
    Olivier Dutreil

    Frst development of islam brings problem to europe . We must stop backing islam in europe . 2 supress nationality to those who fight for jihad. . SupreSs double nationality. . Control the mosk and stop financing them.

  2. avatar
    Nando Aidos

    A serious introspection on what has caused all this!
    One has to stop using “traditional means” of fighting whatever. It is not working. One has to stop “working around and with” whatever parties the diplomats “think” and the “military “think”. They are all stuck in “group think” and cannot think anymore. One needs to find “real solutions”, not “band-aids”.

  3. avatar
    Marcel

    The question that needs to be asked above all is, why do western governments refuse to acknowledge that elements from within Saudi Arabia and Qatar are responsible for financing IS? Why no boycott of Saudi Arabia?

    Another question is why do European governments blindly follow whatever the USA wants, particularly since the illegal wars the USA keeps waging caused the instability?

    Last questions, why do people keep thinking that the artificial countries Syria and Iraq are nations? And when will Bush and Blair finally be arrested for war crimes?

    • avatar
      Athena

      I very much agree with Marcel on all these points! And I would add:

      1. When will the answer to the question raised around combating ISIS become ‘when Western countries start changing their foreign, energy and military policies that have fueled the existence of such groups”

      and

      2. When will we finally stop being dependent on fossil fuels to satisfy our energy needs especially as the technologies now exist to satisfy our needs via alternative energies and energy savings?

      It is I believe high time people in positions of decision making power within the EU need to substantially and seriously be asked and answer these questions

  4. avatar
    Bubach Kurt

    Any Citizen of a European Country that goes to fight Jihad should have his citizenship revoked even if it means that he becomes stateless, let these criminals and terrorists stay in Jihadland. To defeat Isis we must arm Assad because Assad is the one fighting them, we should also unleash Special Forces on Isis targets and eliminate the targets. We must prevent food and water from reaching Isis areas, if you cant eat you cant fight,we should switch off telecom services in those areas, delete Jihad acounts on social media, we must go after them and make them hurt.

  5. avatar
    Γιώργος Κοτλίδας

    by strengthening more secular movements in the region by many means(institutionally mainly)..maybe with UN-supervised educational,self-governing and administrative programs.

  6. avatar
    Guillem Martí Bou

    Strenghting our military support to Iraq army. More instructors, more air strikes, More militar supplies, etc. In addition, we should provide financial support, for local governments in order to improve the stability of their countries. With concrete plans to spend it. Roads, hospitals, schools, etc. Which governments??? Well, we must ask ourselves If Assad and company are as bad as Isis, or they could be “our second best”.

  7. avatar
    ironworker

    I wouldn’t agree that air strikes are not effective. With the right kind of intel from the ground and surgery precision strikes from above, allot of ISIS “fighters” and especially their leaders can be smoked out. I know it would be costly, but considering the circumstances with Bashar al-Assad positioned neither friend neither enemy, corrupted Iraqis in a perpetual withdraw not to be trusted, tens of thousand of refugees from Syria and Iraq forcing Europe’s borders, I guess there are not too many options out there. Kurds are doing a way better job in their area than the entire western coalition. But in the meantime the refugee should be trained, armed and send back to fight for their country.

  8. avatar
    Max Berre

    American Here:

    I propose that Europe start behaving as if it gave a damn about what happens in the european neighborhood.

    That’s something that nobody has tried yet, and which just might work. Same goes for Ukraine, Yugoslavia, and Tunisia.

    It’s time for europe to get off its lazy, isolationist rear-end, and go deal with problems in the near-abroad instead of hoping they’ll solve themselves, or calling washington to come handle things for you.

    • avatar
      Marcel

      No thanks, we’re tired of being genocidal warmongers, unlike you Americans. Turn over the war criminals Bush and Cheney.

    • avatar
      Alan Bain

      Well if the CIA would stop funding and arming these people and it goes way back to the 50s+60s cause it serves Americas needs as a warmongering nation cause let’s face it nothing makes money faster for the bankers and businessmen than wars etc and USA don’t want to win as it is designed to be sustainable to make the rich richer so we wouldn’t be in this mess if these people were held accountable for their actions.

    • avatar
      Ott Toomet

      Agree, EU should take more responsibility in security matters, at least around the European continent. However, it is hard to see it happening any time soon as long as defense decisions are made by member states by unanimity. I am also thinking it would be far easier for the US to work with a single coherent EU military, instead of a wide array of tiny armies, each one governed by different rules and steered by different decision makers.

    • avatar
      hexelious

      in support of the American
      the EU keeps painting itself as a victim of western influence yet claims this idea of isolation so tell me why shouldn’t the us play them at the game of power in the middle east which it seems the west keeps playing. FYI you haven’t seen Russia getting involved in all this.

    • avatar
      Robert Perace

      We do not necessarily wish to “call Washington” to help with the situation in Syria.A lot of people in Europe do not get much affinity from the Islamic world and feel it is not our fight.The mistake we did make is that we did not protect the Christian population in Iraq and Syria.Assad,who the US is bombing,is trying to eliminate ISIS and although he is bombing his own people you have to ask why.Is it because some of them are Muslim and agree with extreme Islam or is it because Assad is a devil.My final and most important point,in relation to your comment is that if you think we are lazy then ask yourself what good came out of the US intervention in Afghanistan,Iraq and dare I say Libya.I do understand the goodness of the US but you are the first to complain when things do not go your way and that may be part of the Middle east problem.

  9. avatar
    Gonçalo Hall

    Forget the borders made by England, France, etc and let the local people do their own borders. 70% of the wars happen due to these stupid borders. If the wars end, ISIS will have no control at all, agains strong local leadership.

  10. avatar
    Paul X

    The only thing that can stop it is for the Muslim world to unite against ISIS

    Interference by non Muslims plays directly into the hands of the extremists who can continue the “it’s rest of the world against Islam” propaganda war

    Unfortunately it seems half the Muslim world is scared of them while the other half secretly has sympathy with them so I wouldn’t expect any resolution in the near future barring using up a few nuclear weapons and a lot of civilian casualties

  11. avatar
    Katrin Mpakirtzi

    Stop turkey saudi guns..to isis to libya to albania to extremist muslims. The Live with bad boy of West must STOP.

  12. avatar
    Akos Tarkanyi

    First question: who buys oil from IS? I wonder who the first journalist will be who discovers this – and why one cannot find any information anywhere about this important question. Whose interest is this lack of information?

  13. avatar
    Laurinda Seabra

    stopping big arm manufacturers sales. simple. Oh I forgot, they are owned by the likes of Bush and Chenney too as well as many others …

  14. avatar
    Alex Tselentis

    LOL maybe if the “West” (who created these idiots) would stop sending them weapons and cash ??

  15. avatar
    Marco Franck

    BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY BEFORE PUTIN SUPPORTS THEM AND SCREW EU UP! we are barely 500 km from Cyprus away from Lybia….. does this not scare EU????????

    • avatar
      Marcel

      I take it you are volunteering for front line duty?

      I thought not.

  16. avatar
    António Luís Faria

    É evidente que esta utilização de meios aéreos mais não é que um bom treino para pilotos e testes de munições e armamento tornando fácil o aliciamento dos indiiscriminadamente atingidos

  17. avatar
    Rui Duarte

    It will take a change of attitude. We have to stop being indulgent and take this threat seriously. If our civilization is to survive, we must be determined to defend ourselves. If we don’t.. it will be easier for IS.

  18. avatar
    Călin Lucaci

    How can you stop an extremism like this? A thing is sure, not with debates. Guys in Washington created them, maybe is time to question those guys.

    • avatar
      Matt

      Trading with terrorists ! Hopefully that will never happen.

    • avatar
      Matt

      They will never stop because they believe in a Caliphate, an Islamic Sunni empire. We must stop them before their propaganda grows and they get more influence over an entire generation of young Iraqis and Syrians.

    • avatar
      ASFIA

      Its not possible to talk and trade with ISIS because they are not a human being ,they have lost everything,they dont understand anything,they only understand how to kill man and destroy ….

  19. avatar
    Luis Raposo

    ISIS, it is a product of world corruption, world inequality. made a society more justice equality, you will see the ISIS will wrongness their acts

  20. avatar
    Eva Benko Zoltan

    They should stop wars in these countries, they Are all muslims and should live in harmony. Is that the weapon producers want to sell and produce conflicts.

  21. avatar
    Ferenc Lázár

    First of all why don’t you ask Turkey, the member of NATO, how is possible that they are sponsoring them with weapons and trade?! Maby the sanctions of G7 and Bilderberg conference should be aimed towards Turkey not towards Russia?!

  22. avatar
    Liliana Ramsing

    Well, I think it is quite difficult, but not impossible! Very tough legislation against those who trade with illegal guns. As well a very rigorous border control where ISIS fight.

  23. avatar
    Ciobîcă Ovidiu

    If Turkey supports the ISIS terrorists, than its even more obvious that NATO, EU and all the international institutions that are lead by the Western Governments had created this heavily armed terrorist cell. Who asked us before creating this criminal organisation, and why are we being asked about what to do against It? More than anything, we must aknowledge the truth about its origins and put pressure on the Governments to take urgent and drastic measures against them – the NATO armies must be sent to anihilate ISIS for good, ASAP!

  24. avatar
    Egon Witte

    Let people know, who is behind those monsters..Show all faces..in USA, GB, Turkey..and the arabic countries involved..Make it an open source case..

  25. avatar
    Erich Scheffl

    Dry the source, Iran. There shall be only legal states, world wide. No Religious states. With those, don’t trade.

  26. avatar
    Egon Witte

    Let people know, who is behind those monsters..Show all faces..in USA, GB, Turkey..and the arabic countries involved..Make it an open source case..

  27. avatar
    Erich Scheffl

    Dry the source, Iran. There shall be only legal states, world wide. No Religious states. With those, don’t trade.

  28. avatar
    July Robin

    The way to stop and defeat ISIS is the EU to focus completely on them (use all the energy and resources to deafeat them) instead of trying to fight with Russia at the same time, we don’t want to fight both Russia and ISIS at the same time ( we are not stupid to fight in two fronts at the same time) with Russia you can negociate use diplomatic power and maintain peace, but with ISIS you cannot negociate.

  29. avatar
    Nigel Daff

    …. until ALL moslims everywhere come out and condem these extremists much more vigorously and united – we will never never get to where we all want to be – a peaceful world without extremism. Everyday normal and peaceful living moslims need to SHOUT very hard, together against extremism and begin to inform authorities – police – imams and so on the moment they know about possible future attackers in the family. The key to the problem has to come firstly from the internal moslim world.

  30. avatar
    Richard Osborne

    I don’t believe undermining I.s is financially sound. It’d be better to blockade the middle east ports. No oil, no supplies, no aid and let them tear themselves apart. Then move in and take whatever is left.

  31. avatar
    Nikolaos Sotirelis

    NATO invaded several times to several countries, especially in the arabic world and for minor reasons, not to mention shameful reasons.
    In this case, it’s not only a matter of humanitarian disaster, it’s also a matter of responsibility because West brought up and armed this beast.

  32. avatar
    eusebio manuel vestias pecurto

    There is a conspiracy against the free world a conspiracy that proliferated up by organized crime and terrorism that radical groups are not the ark of the story The free world must make peace agreements and stability in the world and for the end to this global threat Happy Sustainability 2015

  33. avatar
    Глобалността и ние

    1.Flows of money and weapons must be stopped!2. International Round Table to change the borders in the Middle East. 3. Block all Islamic sermons in the media and internet network in Europe.

    • avatar
      Assam

      Here here!!!!!!

  34. avatar
    Taline Babikian Angelidou

    1-Remove them from Syria for starters, help restore they government’s internationally recognized border so Syria can start rebuilding it’s country and the 2million+ refugees go back to their homeland. 2-Stop sending them money and weapons which is helping them get strong..if they ever reach the Mediterranean what you are seeing now will be nothing to the hell that will break loose! 3-block communication of all sorts and stop supporting their or promoting the hideous crimes..for starters these are it…

  35. avatar
    Ilyass Naqar

    Isis become more powerful, in my opinion a military intervention in this area is the solution to resolve isis problems, but also by stopping people to travel to this conflict zone.

  36. avatar
    Mário Baptista

    There is only one way to stop ISIS, and that way is the civilized world to say that´s enough of barbarity, we are at war and send a huge army to wipe them out of the planet earth.

  37. avatar
    Akos Tarkanyi

    Who buys oil from IS? Turkey? That has to be discivered! The country that buys oil form IS has to be forced internationally to stop that!

  38. avatar
    Paulo Especial

    We need to support and intervene actively.

    If the national governments allow then EU troops should help establish security zones on the Magrebe.

  39. avatar
    Rémi Martin

    That’s an american creation, let Uncle Sam do what he thinks, he built bullshit in Irak by searching massive destruction weapons!

  40. avatar
    Yvetta

    They should be bombed out very suddenly and very heavily in a coordinated attack by their own Muslim brothers from neighbouring countries.

  41. avatar
    Glenn Zasman

    “La nouvelle attaque terroriste qui a frappé la France, six mois après les attentats de janvier, vient de franchir une étape supplémentaire dans l’horreur. Elle témoigne d’une mise en scène effroyable et moyenâgeuse, inédite sur le territoire national et qui porte le sceau de la barbarie islamiste. Ce que redoutaient tant les services de renseignements, à savoir une décapitation perpétrée sur notre sol, est survenu vendredi dans l’Isère.” (Le Figaro)

  42. avatar
    Rick Wilmot

    World Socialism, as a step towards the destruction of the capitalist system and a new era of peace and prosperity for all, not just the 1%.

  43. avatar
    Marius Iosif Todea

    A multinational task force to fight and eliminate the leaders of ISIS and their army ,a gang of criminals ,psihchopatsand adventurors ,possibly financed by russia !

  44. avatar
    Nena Abreu

    stop selling them bombs, guns, machineguns and so on. If someone is helping them is most probably one of the USA FRIENDS, may be Israel, may be Saudi Arabia who knows ? There is a big industry interested in it, since the Iraqui invasion.

  45. avatar
    Michael Cravatte

    it requires only 200000 people on the ground to stop them… Isis is not so many, they are just using medias to scare people… But in reality they are not so strong…

  46. avatar
    Michael Cravatte

    There is need also for real equal justice for all men on this planet. it is not normal that African people have to flee Africa to be able to live correctly. The world powers are selfish, EU is one of the most selfish, when they cut all cooperation of development, they opened the doors to migration because the countries ar not equal…

  47. avatar
    Arsalan Issa Mizory

    It’s 2 easy stop Turkey and Sudia Arabia to fund and support Isis anymore, give the Kurds what they need to fight, bomb them accurately Isis will be terminated in months.

  48. avatar
    Gururaj Bhat

    This isis thinks that they got the licence to kill person in the name of religion is to be condmned by all civilzed people of the world .they must unite against this barbaric and brutal force which has no respect for human beings abd behaves like as if they have come from heaven where their god allah lives sanction that they themselves do not know how or what he is .it must be nip in the bud itself

  49. avatar
    Alex Borg

    Europe must defend itself without attacking Islam. ISIS is the expression of a reaction to globalisation and secularism, perhaps a recrudescence analogous in nature to the brutal one that emerged from the Counter Reformation as a reaction to the Reformation and Protestantism.

  50. avatar
    Erich Scheffl

    Forbid hate religions. Allow only peace Religions. As long, as they are on the wrong way. Easy. Legal staes is a must. World wide. UN must become sanctioanbility for human rights. We are in the 3rd millenium, and have to start human development. http://www.WWSEEP.com

  51. avatar
    Maia Alexandrova

    The Islamic State terrorist group is a test for the Islamic world. This test can be passed only through unity of all countries in the region. They should fight together and eliminate the growing tumor of ISIS. What is happening now? Saudi Arabia is attacking Yemen but doesn’t bother about the terrorists in Iraq and Syria. Turkey is fighting against the Kurds and is delighted when the Islamic State kills them, so it is obvious it supports the terrorists. Assad is left to fight them on his own, Iran is also excluded. While there is a division in the region, Islamic State will thrive and Europe can’t do anything about it. This is why it is best to focus on the fight with terrorism at home, rather than interfere in the Middle East. Air strikes have not succeeded, so they are useless. Invasions of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya have failed to bring democracy. In 21st century we must think about war not as a solution and way to impose justice on others, but as a bloodshed and horror, a tragedy that leads to the death of many innocent people and creates millions of refugees. Wars particularly with Islamic countries create thousands more terrorists and fuel their desire to kill. Neither Europe, nor USA should wage any more wars. They would do much better, if the funds intended for bombs are just given out directly to the people who are suffering most, for example refugees who have escaped in another country such as Turkey, Lebanon or Libya. May be something like a monthly donation for every adult and child to help them get by and stop them from coming to Europe would be preferable than bombs. Just imagine – all those hundreds of billions of dollars that were blown away to wage unsuccessful wars – wouldn’t it be better if they were dropped on people, instead of the bombs? The focus must be on helping the victims, not creating more victims and terrorists. A mistake cannot be corrected with another mistake.

  52. avatar
    Григ Левон

    From my point of view imposing sanctions to the countries of the region that are supplying with money and weapons or so called non letal assistance to these assassins and terrorists

  53. avatar
    Ivan Burrows

    .

    Stop interfering in the work of our intelligence agencies, reinstate National borders and do not under any circumstances allow the fools in Brussels to have a say in it.

  54. avatar
    Richard Osborne

    Build a wall. It worked for the Chinese, it worked for the Russians, it saved lives and provided employment….One thing the e.u doesn’t have

  55. avatar
    Lesley McDade

    Common Sense and the ability to read:

    The Indispensable Man

    (by Saxon White Kessinger)

    Sometime when you’re feeling important;
    Sometime when your ego ‘s in bloom;
    Sometime when you take it for granted,
    You’re the best qualified in the room:
    Sometime when you feel that your going,
    Would leave an unfillable hole,
    Just follow these simple instructions,
    And see how they humble your soul.

    Take a bucket and fill it with water,
    Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
    Pull it out and the hole that’s remaining,
    Is a measure of how much you’ll be missed.
    You can splash all you wish when you enter,
    You may stir up the water galore,
    But stop, and you’ll find that in no time,
    It looks quite the same as before.

    The moral of this quaint example,
    Is to do just the best that you can,
    Be proud of yourself but remember,
    There’s no indispensable man.

    The British Government have a solution – they are probably implementing it at the moment – listening in

  56. avatar
    Mohamed Kichouhi

    Nuno de Magalhães That is the sanction that caused many wars in this world and it will make it worser.

  57. avatar
    Rick Wilmot

    The rest of the ‘saner’ world, that is the big powers, USA, Russia, Europe etc. must get together and deal with it. We cannot let this this spiral until it becomes undefeatable. That does not mean all who follow Islam are guilty, but the extremists must be stopped.
    Putting up boarders is useless. Stop selling them arms would be a start, but capitalist arms manufacturers and dealers know no morality; profit is their only motive regardless of who is in the line of fire.

  58. avatar
    Diane Soall

    In the inimitable words of Kenny Everett; round them up, put them in a field and BOMB THE BASTARDS….

  59. avatar
    Mohamed Kichouhi

    Unbelievable how people are brainwashed by the media. Just learn history and you should have enough information to know what is going on. The rich people are getting richer on your backs, just to let you know…

    • avatar
      Paul X

      Since money was invented the rich people have always got richer, nothing new there

      Now you can either waste your life sitting there whining jealously about them or just get on and make the most of what you got…I know what I do

  60. avatar
    Geoffrey Howard

    Drop some leaflets over their cities, notifying them they have 24 hours to leave. Do this randomly for a few weeks… then carpet bomb them, without mercy.

  61. avatar
    Nigel Daff

    The many years of our changing world communities to be where we are today has a very complex analysis and we will need equally many years to correct our mistakes sadly – just my opinion as a middle aged christian raised gay man in Holland

  62. avatar
    Zaheer Abbas Kazmi

    Plz don’t call them Islamic… Because they are animals
    its not about Islam
    It’s all about oil money 💵
    Islam believe in peace respect tolerance
    En tbay have nothing
    But yes’s they have millions dollars of weapons
    Who provided them????
    Plz think about that

  63. avatar
    Toni Muñiz

    The biggest danger to Europe are it’s worthless politicians. Politicians like European Commission commissioner Federica Mogherini whos remarks at ‘Call to Europe V: Islam in Europe’ are nothing but an apology for intolerance, misogynistic, violent, xenophobic and homophobic Islam. She states that “Islam holds a place in our Western societies. Islam belongs in Europe. It holds a place in Europe’s history, in our culture, in our food and – what matters most – in Europe’s present and future”.

    She states that those who are against islam in Europe “have no clue what Europe and the European identity are.” She also states that “I am not afraid to say that political Islam should be part of the picture.” Really, political Islam should be part of the European picture? Is she Pro Sharia law?

    Now these comments aren’t from some low level politician in Europe. No, these comments are from a High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. How she is still in her position representing Europeans is beyond me. She should be forced to resign after such statements. What place does Islam have in the European politics or European identity as she states?

  64. avatar
    Lesley McDade

    Common sense …

    The Indispensable Man

    (by Saxon White Kessinger)

    Sometime when you’re feeling important;
    Sometime when your ego ‘s in bloom;
    Sometime when you take it for granted,
    You’re the best qualified in the room:
    Sometime when you feel that your going,
    Would leave an unfillable hole,
    Just follow these simple instructions,
    And see how they humble your soul.

    Take a bucket and fill it with water,
    Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
    Pull it out and the hole that’s remaining,
    Is a measure of how much you’ll be missed.
    You can splash all you wish when you enter,
    You may stir up the water galore,
    But stop, and you’ll find that in no time,
    It looks quite the same as before.

    The moral of this quaint example,
    Is to do just the best that you can,
    Be proud of yourself but remember,
    There’s no indispensable man.

    … reason

  65. avatar
    Bart Vd B

    Israel, the US and the Saudi’s would need to withdraw their sponsorship…

  66. avatar
    Breogán Costa

    not only that: they say that the south of Europe is their property, that is almost full Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and south France (anyway, they almost recovered France xD )

  67. avatar
    Anthony Neil Pace

    Religion is the sole and direct cause of this. both Christianity on the side of the western forces that destabilised the region, and the Extremists that are declaring this as some sort of religious war. Religion has to go. the sooner people realise that it’s being taken for a ride with this ancient reasoning, the sooner the world will start to recover.

    • avatar
      Tony

      Ha. Because Christianity is the real reason that Western forces destabilised the region. Don’t be so ignorant and blame religion for the greed of Western Politics.

  68. avatar
    Tony Kunnari

    Solve the reasons why they feel they need to stand when they ought to sit. When you do this, they will find themselves a seat to sit on.

  69. avatar
    Taline Babikian Angelidou

    stop funding you idiots…if you supported the Syrian regime rather than opposing them…it would not have reached here…there is no perfect regime, Syrian regime was not perfect but things were balanced somehow…now surrounding countries are full of refugees, they can’t afford to have more refugees and they must go back to their homeland/villages/cities…which mostly now is under IS rule..what did you gain? oil? gas? you are selling ammunition? while the innocent are beheaded, raped, lost, stripped of home …power greed and sex…worst scenario ever in uncultured human beings!

  70. avatar
    Mariana de Almeida

    Step 1: All countries should have (and if they don’t, create) laws regarding terrorist activities in their countries, terrorits, and the possibility of one or more of their citizens leaving to join this lunacy. Let’s set some rules, shall we?
    Step 2: The EU and NATO must develop a joint plan to deal with the crisis and, as we say in my country, “cut off the evil from it’s root”.

  71. avatar
    Máté János

    Maybe you should ask the “good friends” from the US who have helped them to rise :-( …

  72. avatar
    Fernanda de Oliveira

    If Europe and the USA stop to support conflicts or revolutions giving or selling them arms, there will be no ISIS. This is all about hypocricy.

  73. avatar
    Vicente Silva Tavares

    ISIS is supported by Saudi Arabia, this country is the first oil supplier of USA, therefore USA is not interested in a hard position that collides with its oil supplier. They put a bomb today, a bomb next week, just to close the mouths of world, but they are not really committed. For example, they never bombed their oil explorations which are one of their capital suppliers. Meanwhile people die in the most barbarian ways, but for the big corporations, that is not important.

  74. avatar
    IgnoRantJack

    Firstly the solution has to come from the Middleast, you can certainly make a coherent argument that we’re partly to blame but that’s not the point. The point is key stakeholders across the region know the Middleast better than we ever will, we should however be part of that regionally led solution. We can also work with diaspora groups in EU countries, boosting their capabilities and promoting good governance as organisations which they can promote in the countries/communities they represent. This would also be a first step towards turning the tide in the propaganda war.

  75. avatar
    Paulo Especial

    An European Union Federal Army and the will to take it to their lands in order to STOP the menace in the beginning!

  76. avatar
    Gerasimos Laios

    The gulf states should stop funding them and providing them with mercenary support, and the United States and Britain would do well to withdraw the secret special forces units that are operating in Syria and Iraq as I.S. fighters. Everyone is blaming the “west” for this while they tend to “forget” that this is also a result of a contest between the Sunni gulf states and Shia Iran in the region.

  77. avatar
    Ibrahim Uzun

    As long there is a oil in the region there will be no peace in the Middle East , this kind of terrorist organisations will come and go .

  78. avatar
    Ciobîcă Ovidiu

    How come they continue expanding with all the US “bombings”? ISIs is an US product that proves once again who is behind of all the terrorist strikes in the past decades – obviously, it’s the US government…there must be formed another military coalition, most preferably made of Central and Eastern European countries that shall strike isis repeatedly until they become dead meat!

  79. avatar
    Gabi Ionita

    If Europe and USA cannot solve this problem, let Putin solve it and let us hope he will succeed ! We are tired of western lies and manipulation!

  80. avatar
    Ivan Vikalo

    With returning fighters, we take away their citizenship and lock them up immediately. With IS, we need boots on the ground, or heavily support both Assad and the SOC: we need realism and pragmatism, and IS is a bigger threat than Assad. But first. We need a deal with the SOC and Assad of how to organize the future state structure in Syria

  81. avatar
    Oros Andrei

    cut their main funding source: it can’t be that hard for EU & US to determine who buys black market oil (main source of revenue) from ISIS

  82. avatar
    Zbigniew Jankowski

    Take care of their families, make soldiers from the refugees who are capable to carry weapons and fight, create operational and logistics supportive centres for them and send them back to fight for a similar freedom in their home countries as the one we have in Europe and to which they today run away or in which they seek asylum. Ask all european located imams to lead the way for them. Historically, a lot of blood has flooded down our continent prior Europe became what it is today and we should show all those incoming people how important to us our values are, how we’ll protect them and how we are ready to support the refugees in their freedom fight. Because this is a fight for freedom. We all know from history that freeing America from slavery had a high price paid in blood. The arabic spring, gave freedom to millions from dictatorship and now we have to help to fight to live freely and not in the chains of this or that religion and to believe in whatever they want to believe tolerating each other.

  83. avatar
    Su La

    By taking in those fighters as refugees in EU :) hehhehehe

  84. avatar
    Sylvain Duret

    Build a project of society based on respect of human (fight powerty) and then make a total war with tactical groups who attack quickly, and starve them.

  85. avatar
    Sylvain Duret

    Achilles Desalermos, Assad use his weapons against civilians or laic revolutionners, but not enought against Isis ; in fact he make more murders than Isis.

  86. avatar
    Jude De Froissard

    Simple. ..stop the hypocrisy….everybody’s hypocrisy and then surround them from everywhere and besiege them…

  87. avatar
    Andreia Fonseca

    Europe stop selling arms. Bush and Blair should be pursecuted for war crimes. This is the result of that

  88. avatar
    Vinko Rajic

    I don’t think we can stop this . This is going to continue for over 20 Years more . You can’t establish democratic governments there and without democracy you are going to have something like ISIS .

    • avatar
      MariaC

      Agree.

  89. avatar
    Ναυσικα Μουσσαιου

    Dead easy. STOP SELLING GUNS TO THE FANATICS.
    If I buy ONE military gun, all secret services will be aware within 10 minutes, and these lunatics get thousands of guns and amunition, and big boys can not trace them,…
    WHAT A JOKE,…

  90. avatar
    Rick Wilmot

    It’s all part of the NWO and its obsession with keeping millions living in fear!

  91. avatar
    Marius Iosif Todea

    The problem is Russia ,who is helping both Assad and ISIS (in secret),to fight against oposition armed forces in Syria ! …The UN must adopt a resolution against this fact !

  92. avatar
    Eduardo Branco

    A battle on the ground is needed, the arabs won’t do anything, like they did nothing untill now. NATO must do it (never thought I would say that in my life :( )

  93. avatar
    Joseph Bartolo

    Capture and Arrest Everyone that is supplying the Weapons and send them to life in prisonment with the money they had made to support each of them, at a bear minimum to survive.

  94. avatar
    Luigi Cottone

    Basta rivelare che queste formazioni sono finanziate dall’Arabia saudita. Guarda caso attaccano solo sciiti. Compriamo il petrolio dall’ Iran e li freghiamo

  95. avatar
    Geoffrey Howard

    Any solution in regards to them (and others like them), can NOT be political, only a military solution. Such violent ideologies and people can not be allowed to breathe and breed on this planet, regardless of the region.

  96. avatar
    Saleem Yousuf

    ISIS-rael is a brainchild of US and its closest ally Israel so if US and Israel stop funding ISIS-rael it wouldn’t exist at all.

  97. avatar
    Michael Cravatte

    50000-250000 people of ISIS scare the whole planet, this is terrorism… How many soldiers in China? more than 2 millions. USA? 1,4 million. Russia? 750.000. Europe? 1,5 million

  98. avatar
    Victor Sorin Popaliciu

    to stop Isis and the coruption and the hypocricy you and and we all people we just have to tell the Truth-Islam is the Beautiful Ancient Religion sended by God-Allah to Adam,Noah,Abraham,Moses,Jesus Christ -The Messiah and to Last Prophet -Muhammad(Peace be Upon al Propehts). When all people will know the Truth than all peoplw will know who are the hypocrits and so we all good people will live in Peace&Harmony,InshaAllah! Alhamdulillah!

  99. avatar
    Vicente Silva Tavares

    Every European that has gone to fight for ISIS, should loose their citizenship and not allowed back to Europe. Saudi Arabia can receive them, after all they are the main supporters of ISIS.

  100. avatar
    Shawn

    US boots on the ground and kill them all

  101. avatar
    Azza

    Sports is the answer, these poor people need more sports, build them the facility’s and make it safe and they will come. You need to give kids other options and sports is as good as any.

  102. avatar
    Georgi Krestanov

    The Islam lead war against civilication – called jihad – so Islam aut of low – and give war back

  103. avatar
    Enric Mestres Girbal

    To start with we have a problem…Rusia backs AlAssad and US/EU the rebels….the daesh problem can only be dealt with a proper war…air raids, tanks and army (3 milions) rolling up from the mediterranean shore and Damascus towards Turkey and Kurdistan….and, of course, sending the 300.000 men hiding in Europe to fight for their country.

  104. avatar
    Alex Bell

    Stop giving them weapons. Stop supporting USA, as they are behind the money and th agenda. leave NATO and join Russians.

  105. avatar
    Vijaykumar Autar Sharma

    Get RID of US. Simple. US should be bombed by
    Russia and China and sent the US back to the stoneage so that the American continent can be given back to the
    natives. All terrorism in the world will be
    stopped immidiatly.
    .

    .

  106. avatar
    Dalibor Medvedović

    Policy – as allways do. Somebody have to ask them What they want, than accept conscept, and allowed rappresentatives…

  107. avatar
    Rubberhead

    Arrest Bush, Cheney, and all the other criminals. If Americans want to credibly police the world, they should police themselves first. And then, if it doesn’t stop…nuke the whole Middle East. They’re constantly proving themselves to be nothing but animals anyways

  108. avatar
    sophie

    The attack on paris was horrendous as around 127 people died by terriorist, they attacked the city of paris as the americans have now killed jihad… i think a war will take place soon, and if we do not stand up to isis they will ruin everything in there paths, is it known to be that London(capital of England) is next to be targeted, one person from isis has said that many part of the terriorist orginisation are in the uk and have been for around 6 weeks.

  109. avatar
    Jeremiah

    Why can’t we destroy the already known areas of ISIS. as stated in the article?

  110. avatar
    Jeremiah

    Why can’t we destroy and blow-up the towns taken over by ISIS?
    This should be done at once, at the same time. That would stop the rise and advance of ISIS.

  111. avatar
    Mugur Cristian

    France, being under attack, has the right to call for NATO. So only a massive coordinated NATO intervention can defeat them.

    • avatar
      Jeremiah

      France call NATO, and blow them all up

  112. avatar
    Adelina Adriana

    Close the doors/borders to who is coming from these countries and for who decides to leave forever E.U.

  113. avatar
    Fred Newton

    Be interesting to know just how much Saudi, Quatar and UAE fund ISIS and who it is that ISIS are selling there oil to.

  114. avatar
    lesleymcdade364@msn.com

    http://www.mick-armitage.staff.shef.ac.uk/poems/poem-im.html

    The Indispensable Man

    (by Saxon White Kessinger)

    Sometime when you’re feeling important;
    Sometime when your ego ‘s in bloom;
    Sometime when you take it for granted,
    You’re the best qualified in the room:
    Sometime when you feel that your going,
    Would leave an unfillable hole,
    Just follow these simple instructions,
    And see how they humble your soul.

    Take a bucket and fill it with water,
    Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
    Pull it out and the hole that’s remaining,
    Is a measure of how much you’ll be missed.
    You can splash all you wish when you enter,
    You may stir up the water galore,
    But stop, and you’ll find that in no time,
    It looks quite the same as before.

    The moral of this quaint example,
    Is to do just the best that you can,
    Be proud of yourself but remember,
    There’s no indispensable man.

    Common sense and the ability to read and apply reason and intellect – do things peacefully according to the application of the rule of law

  115. avatar
    Vicente Silva Tavares

    First bomb the oil fields. Second stop selling weapons to potencial ISIS supliers (Turkey and all Golf countries), Third, expel all radicals in Europe to their countries. Fight seriously ISIS. Do not allow European ISIS jihadists to come back to Europe.

  116. avatar
    Beau

    Isis is only part of the problem what the other part is, is that the two biggest milatery forces in the world (america and russia )distrust eachother and without one or the other there is a big problem

  117. avatar
    Mrunalee

    Probably we need to come up with something that can stop ISIS and save the innocent people

  118. avatar
    Kay

    Cut off any trade, money etc to anyone who finances them as well. Qutar, Saudi Arabia, and other small groups left over from Saddam Husseins leftovers!

  119. avatar
    cheyanne staples

    I think that ISIS is out of control and they need to be stopped and all killed

  120. avatar
    Nikos

    Unfortunately, it’s impossible to stop buying oil from there, because the whole industry will fall apart… Though it’s absolutely clear that bombing innosent people is not a way of stopping the war… War cannot be seazed by violence…

  121. avatar
    Vishal

    They should not be financially supported and also we should work together against them.

  122. avatar
    Daniele Pollicino

    They are moving (..running away !) from Syria to Lybia and they will change country all the time…so, until Russia, Cina and Western Countries won’t stick all together they will not be defeted..to this though, islam has to be seen for what it really is: an ideology and not a religion. We are still a long way…away!

  123. avatar
    Enric Mestres Girbal

    The first is to make sure they don’t have a “califat” and to achieve that is necessary an army on the ground (best muslims, kurds and other minorities) with a “wipe out” anybody in black.

  124. avatar
    Mustafa Cezar

    Maybe the West wants to finish ISIS but how it will work out while their partners are supporting isis? Join the Russians or leave them alone to finish ISIS.

  125. avatar
    Victor Sorin Popaliciu

    it will take to tell the people the Truth about Islam and the Right to Religion wich is written in all Constitution and Un Charta and expose this hypocrits from isis for wat they are -an evil cult of some criminals who sell oil to many bussines people from many nations and sell ancient artefacts and so they rise on greed and corrption. Europe is in grave danger becose many kids will fall for the triks and plots of isis and they will become some donkeys like the donkeys from the Pleasure Island from the novel/cartoon Pinocchio.

  126. avatar
    Dimitar Trendafilov

    To stop ISIS and Islamism should be bombed Riyadh and Ankara … other inspirers and sponsors of Islamic thugs will find in Europe and the US.

  127. avatar
    Sanna Drammeh

    Western Idealogies are of nothing except to put corruptions and hypocrisy that can caused Continous confusions

  128. avatar
    Sarah EsEs

    Stop giving arms. Destroy théir idéologie and kill those who résist or emprison them. Éducate correct islam and whatever religion ask people to keep it for them. Respect of human codes rules and values must be must.

  129. avatar
    Sarah EsEs

    Well debating Europe we always give our idées but you do nothing. You are just gettin more and more bureacratic and none human. I do think Europe is dying! I dont believe now to Europe! Let z All divorce now and every country will struggle with his own problème. Europe do nothing now concrète honest human and clear!!! Soo stop asking questions now!

  130. avatar
    Sarah EsEs

    Europe s décisions are gettin really incompréhensible and idiot. I feel like there z àn idiote oversize there who décides for whole nations! Really it z sooo far from reality and néeds and fears and demande. Juste bye i dis like this page. Thought wil find very intelligent publications but i m Just over! You got brainless idiots!

  131. avatar
    Chris Alexander Zervas

    ~ Find out who created, financed and who makes money out of them and then we can talk about geopolitics … THIS IS THE ISSUE & YOU KNOW THAT!

  132. avatar
    anna

    The invasion of Iraq was the source of all this and no one was made responsible and made pay for it!…The greed of few people determined all that and still all the hate that keeps growing…but…the terrorism has the same disgusting connotations..so the hate is our gain.. And…off course they hate us …if someone kills my loved ones am shure would want revenge…after all ,,we are all humans!

  133. avatar
    Bita Nahal Peace

    ask Buddhists!! They derinatly should know!! Ask Far East who is playing God in order to kill and destroy GOD!!! How dumb and stupid do you think of us?!! ;( ;( ;( ;(

  134. avatar
    Wendy Harris

    When the game of proxy wars is over they will stop being paid by their puppet masters and go home.

  135. avatar
    Olivier Dutreil

    It s not a ” so called”islamic,state..it is THe islamic state…name and face reality…to stop this you need to name it to fight it to reduce islam in europe and to stop putting flowers on killing fields….

  136. avatar
    Enric Mestres Girbal

    Until now the EU has been in the hands of eunucks…maybe it’s time to act properly and think with the brains, not with the pocket.

  137. avatar
    Rosy Forlenza

    Look closely at foreign policy, if you keep treading on people, eventually they will become more susceptible to these hate messages. If refugees are to be helped within the EU, check who is coming in and make the holding centres less prison like, voluntary work, activities and so on. Western values are based upon equality of faith, gender, gender identity, religion, culture, class. Ensure that those wishing to stay understand that arranged marriages, taking daughters out of education and domestic and sexual violence is punishable by law. I firmly believe we need to reclaim these boundaries, clear values means everyone who decides to settle or wishes to, can make informed choices as to whether it is for them. For example for many hardliners in the RC church, divorce and abortion are issues, but if one of hteir flock decides to go for it, they must above all comply with the law. Sort out Turkey and Kurdestan, the Kurds were promised their own state following the collapse of the Ottoman empire, this was overriden or forgotten by the UN when Turkey was formed. It is important that these two States are stable and strong, and would be key to defeating these people in Iraq, as we would then be able to give them proper millitary support. Look carefully at what IS is doing, destabilizing Tunisia and Egypt by attacking its tourism industry, attacking culture and business in european cities. The EU needs to be more accountabe and transparent in terms of whom it is work for, lobbyists? or the people that pay its salaries.

    15/02/2018 Carola Garcia-Calvo, Senior Analyst of the Programme on Global Terrorism at the Elcano Royal Institute, has responded to this comment.

    15/02/2018 Jon Coaffee, Professor in Urban Geography at the University of Warwick, has responded to this comment.

  138. avatar
    Claudio Bartoletti

    simple stop this debate, debate, debate bla bla bla and do the obvious block immigration that will be a big step, but rather continue to debate while they flood in.

  139. avatar
    Lin Figueiredo

    Someone can explain how the wheat production in Syria has grown 40% in 2015 if the country is so mess and destroyed that millions are said to be fleeing??? Then some parts of the country are not destroyed and people could flee and stay safe there??? Remember women and children were left there by their young strong men, many humanitarian organizations going there ‘risking’ their lives… humm… Something very suspicious that doesn’t fit in this story:
    http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=sy&commodity=wheat&graph=production

  140. avatar
    Krol Henri Richard

    A DECISION TO END THIS ! JSUT LIEK WW2 WW1 AND ANY OTHER WARS !!!! is europe being a coward or what ? fucksakes ? send a nuclear bomb and be done with it !

  141. avatar
    Wolfgang Mizelli

    we start with the decision that we really want to stop them. then we take all messures it takes, even if they hurt. and it will be painful and will cost a fortune.

  142. avatar
    Theodosia Asimaki

    Why is an EU forum / platform even asking such a question? It’s not like EU member stater have ever demonstrated shared views, let alone the possibility for joint front on matters of defence and security.

  143. avatar
    Erich Scheffl

    Islam wants to have Power over legal states. They will destabilise more states. And they grow by producing children. Very easy.

  144. avatar
    Erich Scheffl

    Islam needs secularisation, and democratisation. Otherwise I would forbid it in western states, because they don’t care about legal states. Start thinking about the peaceful, and aggressive strategy of Islam.

  145. avatar
    mervyn edmonds36

    educate and eradicate this isil ideology. there is no place in the world for this kind of insanity. but thru our children we can stop this.

  146. avatar
    Jane

    I’m not pleased. Pafi is continuing the same approach that fails. Get away from forcing western values on all tribes, factions of different groups, thinking you’re making progress when you’re not! Forming another coalition of all groups you outlined working together. I pray for peace but I don’t agree Pafi has a unique or different approach. I also have strong opinions with which Hamill, Simas, Kerry, Capital Hill signed papers with Nelson Mullins as Peace Ambassadors. Your media presence, advertising is not as you say. I’m disappointed. You should’ve been original and not about power, status and money. Contracts? Human lives lost, years of telling people the same story of hope, using the exact thing that doesn’t work is the absolute worst. Repackaged and getting paid, living high and lobbying in DC promoting yourself and company. I’m sad for the special people that truly put trust in you.

  147. avatar
    jess dixon

    we can’t stop them, they are too powerful they will always be one step ahead of us… we just need to be incredibly smart..( get them when they aren’t expecting it) because if we attempt to bomb Syria or anywhere they own it will only get worse for the UK and everywhere else.. there is no point in trying to deport them or freaking inprison them because they are sneaky pricks and have people who will always be on the outside… I personally think everyone should be armed with a gun or something that will at least help them in a situation like these because we are helpless compared to them because we cant defend ourselves because as we all know its illegal to leave the house with a knife and guns are illegal so we are basically an easy target for ISIS

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