Why Obama Strategy Against ISIS Is Losing

UPDATE - BREAKING NEWS: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the Obama Administration's request to lift a federal court injunction against President Obama's executive order granting amnesty to as many as five million illegal immigrants.

To be clear, the court did not strike down Obama's immigration amnesty program. But by refusing to lift the injunction, the court strongly signaled that it believes the president's amnesty is likely illegal. Federal officials will continue to be barred from implementing Obama's amnesty while the legal challenge to its constitutionality is argued in federal court.
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Editorial Cartoon by Michael Ramirez, Editor, IBD

by Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: It has become obvious in recent days that President Obama's strategy for confronting ISIS isn't working. Today's New York Times explains why: Obama has handcuffed our military.

According to the report, U.S. intelligence has identified seven buildings in Raqqa, Syria, that essentially function as the headquarters of ISIS. Yet the Times writes that the buildings have not been bombed "during the 10-month allied air campaign." When ISIS captured Ramadi, its fighters "paraded triumphantly through the streets . . . unscathed by coalition fighter-bombers."

What's going on? The Times tells us that "American officials say they are not striking significant -- and obvious -- Islamic State targets out of fear that the attacks will accidentally kill civilians."

We have seen this tactic before. Hamas and Hezbollah routinely hide weapons in civilian areas. But under international law the jihadists are responsible for any civilian casualties.

The conditions imposed by Obama are so severe that "only about one of every four" sorties actually results in a strike. According to the New York Times, "The rest of the missions have returned to the base after failing to find a target they were permitted to hit under strict rules of engagement."

Consider these statistics for some perspective:"The [anti-ISIS] air campaign has averaged a combined total of about 15 strikes a day in Iraq and Syria. In contrast, the NATO air war against Libya in 2011 carried out about 50 strikes a day in its first two months. The campaign in Afghanistan in 2001 averaged 85 daily airstrikes, and the Iraq war in 2003 about 800 a day."While I appreciate the desire to avoid civilian casualties, ISIS is responsible for any civilian deaths when it uses innocent people as human shields. But Obama is allowing ISIS to turn our sensibilities against us. Obama is allowing an enemy that decapitates Christians and burns prisoners alive to dictate our strategy.

Far from ending the war, Obama is prolonging it. And he is prolonging the suffering in the region as well. Even worse, each passing day that ISIS survives increases the danger to our homeland from ISIS plots hatched overseas, jihadis returning home or radicalized lone-wolf sympathizers.
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Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families

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