The American Military Strategy to Combat the ‘Islamic State’ in Iraq and Syria: Assumptions, Tactics and Effectiveness

The American strategy to combat the ‘Islamic State’ rests on four pillars. The first is to conduct systematic air campaigns against the terrorists. The second involves increasing support for forces fighting the jihadists on the ground. The third is based on the strengthening of international cooperation in counterterrorism operations. The fourth involves the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians displaced from the territories occupied by the jihadists. This article analyzes the assumptions, tactics, the most important decisions and actions of the American administration to combat the ‘Islamic State’. It is an attempt to provide answers to the questions: why has there been a growth of extremism in the Middle East? Why is the ‘Islamic State’ a new form of terrorist threat? How does it differ from other terrorist organizations? How was the ‘Islamic State’ created? 1 The term ‘Islamic State’ is intentionally given in quotes to emphasize that, despite the fact that IS imperiously announced the caliphate, it is not a subject of international law, only a terrorist organization. To a certain extent IS does meet the legal criteria for statehood, adopted by the Convention of Montevideo of 1933. It can be reasoned that IS has the three main components of statehood: population, territory and power. However, it is worth noting that it does not have the ability to conduct international relations and conclude agreements, which means that it has not been recognized by the international community. The fact that the authorities in the territory occupied by IS were not selected in legitimate elections, but imposed themselves by force (Sagan, Serzhanova, 2013, p. 40 – 42) cannot be forgotten. According to the Stimson doctrine, which prohibits the recognition of states arising in violation of the law, such a state cannot be accepted by the international community. For more information on the Stimson doctrine, see: Zenderowski 2006, p. 130 – 131. For more information on the attributes of statehood, see: Łoś-Nowak, 2006, p. 234 – 257. Ewelina Waśko-Owsiejczuk 318 What actions have been taken by the international coalition led by the United States in the fight against the jihadists in the Middle East? Is the strategy taken up by the United States effective? Does the defeat of the ‘Islamic State’ require the involvement of US ground forces in Iraq and Syria?