Chelsea E Manning in Fort Leavenworth: "How to make Isis fall on its own sword"

[kpete]

How to make Isis fall on its own sword
Degrade and destroy? The west should try to disrupt the canny militants into self-destruction, because bombs will only backfire

Chelsea E Manning in Fort Leavenworth
theguardian.com, Tuesday 16 September 2014 11.00 EDT


The Islamic State (Isis) is without question a very brutal extremist group with origins in the insurgency of the United States occupation of Iraq. It has rapidly ascended to global attention by taking control of swaths of territory in western and northern Iraq, including Mosul and other major cities.

Based on my experience as an all-source analyst in Iraq during the organization’s relative infancy, Isis cannot be defeated by bombs and bullets – even as the fight is taken to Syria, even if it is conducted by non-Western forces with air support.

I believe that Isis is fueled precisely by the operational and tactical successes of European and American military force that would be – and have been – used to defeat them. I believe that Isis strategically feeds off the mistakes and vulnerabilities of the very democratic western states they decry. The Islamic State’s center of gravity is, in many ways, the United States, the United Kingdom and those aligned with them in the region.

............

Based on my intelligence work in Iraq during that period, I believe that only a very focused and consistent strategy of containment can be effective in reducing the growth and effectiveness of Isis as a threat. And so far, Western states seem to have adopted that strategy. With very public humanitarian disasters, however, like the ones on Mount Sinjar and Irbil in northern Iraq, and the beheadings of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, this discipline gets tested and can begin to fray.

As a strategy to disrupt the growth of Isis, I suggest focusing on four arenas:

Counter the narrative in online Isis recruitment videos – including professionally made videos and amateur battle selfies – to avoid, as best as possible, the deliberate propaganda targeting of desperate and disaffected youth. This would rapidly prevent the recruitment of regional and western members.

Set clear, temporary borders in the region, publicly. This would discourage Isis from taking certain territory where humanitarian crises might be created, or humanitarian efforts impeded.

Establish an international moratorium on the payment of ransom for hostages, and work in the region to prevent Isis from stealing and taxing historical artifacts and valuable treasures as sources of income, and especially from taking over the oil reserves and refineries in Bayji, Iraq. This would disrupt and prevent Isis from maintaining stable and reliable sources of income.

Let Isis succeed in setting up a failed “state” – in a contained area and over a long enough period of time to prove itself unpopular and unable to govern. This might begin to discredit the leadership and ideology of Isis for good.

Much more & Thank you Chelsea:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/16/chelsea-manning-isis-strategy?CMP=ema_565

[misterhighwasted]

1. Most reasonable solution spoken yet.

Thank you.
Now to get those calling the shots to listen.

[NYC_SKP]

2. I like it: "I suggest focusing on four arenas"

As a strategy to disrupt the growth of Isis, I suggest focusing on four arenas:

Counter the narrative in online Isis recruitment videos – including professionally made videos and amateur battle selfies – to avoid, as best as possible, the deliberate propaganda targeting of desperate and disaffected youth. This would rapidly prevent the recruitment of regional and western members.

Set clear, temporary borders in the region, publicly. This would discourage Isis from taking certain territory where humanitarian crises might be created, or humanitarian efforts impeded.

Establish an international moratorium on the payment of ransom for hostages, and work in the region to prevent Isis from stealing and taxing historical artifacts and valuable treasures as sources of income, and especially from taking over the oil reserves and refineries in Bayji, Iraq. This would disrupt and prevent Isis from maintaining stable and reliable sources of income.

Let Isis succeed in setting up a failed “state” – in a contained area and over a long enough period of time to prove itself unpopular and unable to govern. This might begin to discredit the leadership and ideology of Isis for good.

[jmowreader]

3. There's a fifth one she didn't mention

* Uncover and shut down all sources of ISIS' funding and their logistics system.

Without money and supplies, no combatant force can function...think of Third Army on August 31, 1944, when its advance to Berlin was halted completely because the Red Ball Express couldn't get them any fuel. Cut off ISIS' flow of money and materiel, and ISIS will be defeated.

[misterhighwasted]

4. Yes #5 also. And its a critical one. Money

Enough is enough.

[MohRokTah]

5. I cannot trust anything that felon has to say. eom

[sabrina 1]

6. Maybe if you knew a little more about her, you would understand why so many people

trust her a whole lot more than many of our elected offiicials and our lying, corporate media.

It might, or might not, interest you to know that Chelsea Manning WARNED about this way back when she was still serving in Iraq.

She was the canary in the goldmine as it were. For some inconceivable reason she was told to 'stfu'.

And she, who told the truth, like so many other Whistle Blowers in today's America, became the TARGET.

Too bad the decision was made to accuse HER of wrong doing rather than those she reported and who are directly responsible for the creation of ISIS.

[misterhighwasted]

8. ^10000

I want to hear more from Manning on this matter. So far it makes more foreign policy sense than the indulgent talking heads currently directing this war bus down an endless drop over the cliff.

[msanthrope]

7. "My intelligence work?" Dear sweet christ....pure comedy gold. nt

[ColesCountyDem]

14. ^^^^^ This! +1. n/t

[951-Riverside]

9. Is Manning even alive?

[sabrina 1]

10. Yes, and since she WARNED about what we know now resulted in the creation of ISIS

but was told to shut up about it, then targeted when she tried to get the information to the American people, I want to hear a lot more from this incredibly intelligent Whistle Blower who, had she been listened to, could have helped to prevent the rise of extremists due to the actions of the puppet, Maliki, in Iraq.

One day she will be totally vindicated and as time passes that is already happening.

[Lee-Lee]

15. You don't actually believe that tripe do you?

An E-3 intel analyst is not out there warning anyone about anything big picture. At that rank she would have been doing menial, low level tasks at best, like combing through data looking for something that a more senior analyst told her to- "go search from date XX to XX to find how many times XX happened and bring it to me" is the kind of work she would have done. then someone senior would ahve put that together with data from others like her to form the big picture.

Believing an E-3 anywhere is actually doing high level analysis or warning people of anything on this scale is about a gullible as one can get, and shows a profound lack of understanding of how the military works.

Its almost as foolish as calling someone who does a massive dump of anything she could get her hands on, without even knowing what all was in it, a "whistle blower" when a whistle blower is someone who brings to light specific information about specific actions, not somebody who dumps everything they can out of spite.

Manning was a confused young person who made incredibly bad choices under stress, and was deservedly convicted. Anyone who calls her a whistle blower has no grasp of what the difference between blowing the whistle and dumping everything you can get your hands on is.

[sabrina 1]

16. No, I don't 'believe' anything, I KNOW that she reported what she saw going on

re Maliki's brutal policies which resulted in the anger that led to the creation of extremist groups.

I hope YOU don't believe all that you are told by the Corporate Media.

It's clear you know little if anything about this. She KNEW what was in those leaked documents, but you wouldn't know that if you were just listening to the propaganda that was disseminated in order to shut her up and discredit her. Fortunately we have her own account of HOW she knew what she was leaking and WHY.

But you have to actually care enough about avoiding the propaganda and lies we are told on a regular basis here to seek out the facts.

Which thankfully a whole lot of people did in this case.

She was RIGHT to report what she reported, had she been listened to and action taken against Maliki back then, we would not be in the position we are in today.

[Blue State Bandit]

19. That E-3 analyst has had access to contemporaneous source material covering the foundation of ISIS

and decided it was worth the risk of exposing the things she learned... and remained available to face judgment.

Considering the track record of some "High Level Analysts", many of whom got us here in the first place, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss her assumptions.

If you want to question her patriotism, that is fair. Question her motives, sure. But to dismiss out of hand the ability of a E-3 with unadulterated access to source material while in theater, and the smarts to be appointed to that position sounds pretty hubris, if not a bit ill motivated. Kinda round-a-bout.

[sabrina 1]

21. Thank you. She explained very clearly how she knew what was in that material, how it was

organized and how long a time she had to go over it. Which is why she didn't release other material which would have been damaging. Someone who was as good at her job as she was could easily do what she did. The media made it sound like it would have been impossible.

Eg, a good librarian can point someone to exactly what they ask for no matter how big the library.

I don't question her HUMANITY, she explained why she did it and her reasons were very noble. Patriotism? I don't know what that is anymore.

[951-Riverside]

22. I don't see how that proves Manning is infact alive.

All we have is an article from someone claiming to be Manning which could have been written by anyone.

[Veganhealedme]

11. recced nt

[Oktober]

12. That's the part where we point and laugh and privates and 2LTs...

Based on my experience...

Ha..

[G_j]

13. K&R

[WillyT]

17. K & R !!!

[TygrBright]

18. She's no dummy. Good ideas, all. Anyone listening...? Anyone.....? n/t

[elias7]

20. "And so far, Western states seem to have adopted that strategy"

Why would you presume a) no one would be listening and 2) no one in the Obama coterie would come to the same conclusions? I agree; good ideas, but I don't get the snark...