Warren: Destroying ISIS should be 'No. 1 priority'

[sub.theory]

37. I agree in part

I agree with you that bombing ISIS isn't going to solve the problem. I do think it is necessary to degrade their capability, however. They are an army, unlike Al Qaeda, and they can be attacked as an army. They have artillery, armored vehicles, airplanes, bases, and training camps - and these can and should be targeted. I think you are right that bombing someone (Afghanistan) wouldn't have prevented 9/11. Al Qaeda has a very different structure than ISIS. The loose network of largely independent cells required a much different set of tactics to confront and failure to share intelligence significantly contributed to our failure to stop 9/11.

I also agree with you that in many ways this is a continuation of the Iraq War begun in 2003. ISIS is a direct continuation of Al Qaeda in Iraq. Unfortunately, removing our troops has not stopped the problem. In fact, it likely exasperated it. I fully supported Obama in removing our troops. I too hoped it would provide less justification to target the US. Unfortunately, that failed. Would we have been better off to have never invaded Iraq? Almost certainly. But we can't take it back now. The damage is done and we have to deal with that.