We Just Lost the Initiative.....

Can we, yes I mean the U.S. and to a larger extent the world, finally make a concerted effort to fully engage ISIS and to end the Syrian civil war? The global community has neglected our humanity. Instead of actually doing something to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, either through inaction or bias we have left the situation unabated and civilians (innocents) are dying to try and escape to a better life. * image courtesy of indianexpress.com Now look at Aylan! He is the result of a cowardly U.S. political establishment and an Administration that neglected to act when Assad crossed "the red line in the sand." What we see of our American politicians is a cowardly group that has abandoned a region torn apart by conflict and a mass forced migration, and an American public who are more interested in the latest Kardashian news. But America is only one of the many accomplices to have failed. Europe and Turkey have also failed Ay...

Figure 1 - MENA region with IS territory in red The year is 2020 and the world map has been significantly altered. ISIS controls a larger swath of territory running through Iraq, Syria, parts of the Sinai, Sudan, Libya, the Fezzan, and northern Mali. Allied groups terrorize Yemen, Lebanon, Mauritania and Western Sahara. From these locations, ISIS cells have strategic reach into Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, and even into parts of Europe. Rome is a primary target with NATO and its allies in the crosshairs. The turmoil has further compounded Palestinian and Israeli relations, as well as allowed China to press its strategic advantage in the Pacific and the Russians to play devils advocate in Eastern Europe, with a further distingration of Ukranian national borders, threats to the Baltic countries, and movement to integrate countries in the Balkans.  Where has the United States been as these...