Is the Lesson of Latest Terrorist Attacks Going to be Learned?

Is the Lesson of Latest Terrorist Attacks Going to be Learned?

21.11.2015 Author: Martin Berger

In recent weeks, ISIL has manifested itself as one of the most aggressive groups in the world of international terrorism. As pointed out by Foreign Policy magazine, in just a month the group claimed responsibility for two highly elaborate attacks against two of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – France and Russia, accompanied by simultaneous bomb blasts in Beirut on November 12. According to The Wall Street Journal, the latest ISIL attacks outside the Middle East have forced the US and EU to rethink their methods of combating terrorism, putting an emphasis on the creation of a united front that will comprise all players, including Russia and Syria.

It’s hardly a surprise to anyone that G20’s agenda in Antalya gravitated towards the fight against international terrorism, namely ISIL, therefore, the absolute majority of the participants of this international forum agreed that there’s a need for close and effective international cooperation in this field. French President Francois Hollande urged all the states to join their efforts to oppose this evil, thereby repeating the statement that was made two months earlier by Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin in front of the UN General Assembly.

As it was stated by Russia’s leader at the summit:

“We proposed cooperation on antiterrorism; unfortunately our partners in the United States in the initial stage responded with a refusal. But life indeed moves on, often very quickly, and teaches us lessons. It seems to me that everyone is coming around to the realization that we can wage an effective fight only together.”

The creation of a “large and unified coalition” requires a lot of work, for this reason the French President is going to visit both Washington and Moscow, in an attempt to find a common understanding among all the parties involved in the fight with international terrorism.

Of course, such a coalition must be recognized by international law and the UN Security Council, to avoid “clubs on certain political interests” from being created. Such clubs are often launching air assaults in Middle Eastern countries under the supervision of the United States, while paying no heed to the UN Security Council. For example, Washington has been trying time and time again to unilaterally start different military engagements in Syrian territory without any form of consent from Syrian authorities or the international community.
However, this “big and united coalition” must agree on a comprehensive plan of action, that will involve a possible ground operation. According to some experts, such as Michael Doran – former member of the National Security Council under President George W. Bush, to date Washington’s actions against ISIL have been marked by a number of miscalculations, the most grave among which is the complete and utter dependence on Shiites and Kurds . This mistake can be avoided in the future if the United States will demand its Sunni Arab allies to join the fight, for without them there’s no way to hold the territories reclaimed from ISIL.

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