IS Attacks Raise Odds of Closer International Cooperation
A new wave of Islamic State (IS) group terror attacks has exposed the vulnerability of countries across Europe and the Middle East, forcing governments to reconsider existing policies and raising the possibility of new alliances against the organization.
Some former U.S. diplomats, however, say the United States must first develop a more coherent strategy to guide any broad effort against the extremists.
“If our ultimate goal is to help marginalize the forces of extremism, especially from the Middle East and Islamic radical groups such as IS, counter-terrorism and military operations are essential elements of any strategy,” said Edward Djerejian, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria and former assistant secretary of state. “But there has to be a long-term generational strategy put in place that tries to get to some of the root causes of extremism.”
The veteran diplomat cited several issues in the Arab world that cause violent extremism, including broken economies, systemic corruption, lack of political participation, faulty education systems and weak rule of law.
Michele Dunne, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argues that IS recruitment is boosted by the current policies of many Arab countries which exclude and repress opposition groups.
Source: m.voanews.com