International affairs are one of the most important sectors that the government of the United States pays close attention to. The U.S. foreign policies require a high level of diplomacy and analysis since they affect not only Americans but other nations as well. Nowadays, there are several international issues that have the importance for the USA. Oil trade, nuclear weapons control, economic sanctions against the Russian Federation, and several military conflicts in the Middle East are some of the points on which the U.S. government is working these days. The Middle Eastern issue stands out among all others. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (widely known as ISIL) is a terroristic organization that has its principal forces concentrated in Syria and Iraq. Taking into consideration the fact that ISIL is threatening the USA directly, the U.S. Congress must take a leading role among the other government branches in developing the best strategy for tackling the issue by providing plans on military operations, partnership programs, and counter-terrorist actions.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has a destructive ideology. Being a radical Islamic organization, ISIL enforces a scenario where all non-Muslims must be eliminated along with countries that support liberal practices. The USA is one of their main ideological enemies because of their democratic principles and the popularity of Christianity. It would be wrong to think that ISIL forces are too far away to pose a threat to Americans. However, a series of hate crimes on U.S. territory, such as the December 2015 shooting in California, show that ISIL terrorists are among American citizens. As the recent Congress report states, “Elements of the group based overseas have the capability to direct, support, or conduct attacks inside the United States” (Blanchard and Humud 4). In addition, America has allies in Europe and the Middle East that suffer from terrorist attacks as well. According to the principles of partnership, the U.S. government has to provide help to these countries regarding military agreements.
The U.S. government is constantly working on plans to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The idea is to work in several directions to leave them without human and financial resources, gradually fighting back their territories. According to these plans, military operations are one of the key features. Sending troops to the occupied territories may seem to be a provocative act. However, it becomes logical when looked at from the position of a direct answer to the crimes committed on the U.S. territory.
International partnership is another important step in fighting terrorism. United forces of several countries are more efficient against ISIL than the forces of the U.S. only. Part of this move is based on training the Syrian forces and providing them with necessary ammunitions. However, according to Blanchard and Humud, the results of this partnership program raises debates in Congress on whether to continue it in the same direction. The other concern of the U.S. government lies in ISIL financing. It is crucial to determine the sources of their income and to cover these if possible since terrorists would find it impossible to keep up an ongoing war with a lack of ammunition. In addition, ISIL authorities offer money for their supporters who wish to come and stay as a part of their armed forces. Combatting foreign fighter travel is also a part of the U.S. government plan.
Taking into consideration how much effort should be put into this planning, it becomes apparent that Congress must take a leading role in tackling the ISIL issue. Of course, the President of the USA is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. army. However, when it comes to analyzing the problem from various angles, sending American troops should not be one man’s decision. Congress consists of people who represent the whole nation, and this gives it the opportunity to speak for the entire country. Besides that, various representatives have different competencies and strong sides. When their opinions are put together, they provide balanced decisions. Moreover, Congress is in charge of the operation financing since the U.S. budget is their responsibility.
When talking about U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, specifically in Syria and Iraq, there is some criticism of it in Congress as well as internationally. For instance, Blanchard and Humud claim in their report that some Congress representatives are not satisfied with the results of the partnership program and offer to cut down on the financing of this sector. Concerns are raised as well regarding the U.S. presence in the region in general. Despite the peacemaking efforts in the Middle East, the recent poll shows that other countries view the USA as “the greatest threat to world peace” (“US is the greatest threat to world peace: poll” 1). That brings up the importance of international cooperation since it is crucial for the USA to keep an image of the peacemaker rather than the invader.
Analyzing the facts stated above, it becomes evident that fighting ISIL by sending troops, working with partners, combatting terrorist travel, and financing is the most important foreign policy issue now, which Congress must discuss. The U.S. government is right about the threat that ISIL poses to American citizens. The critical issue now is to find ways of cooperating with other countries to bring peace to the Middle East since terrorism is an international problem and it must be tackled with united efforts.
References
Blanchard, Christopher M., and Carla E. Humud. The Islamic State and US Policy. Washington: Congressional Research Service, 2016. Print.
“US is the Greatest Threat to World Peace: Poll.” New York Post 5 January 2014: 1. ProQuest. Web.