{"545421":{"#nid":"545421","#data":{"type":"news","title":"An ISIS Containment Doctrine","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor Jenna Jordan, Ph.D. and Associate Professor Lawrence Rubin, Ph.D., from the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts co-authored \u201cAn Isis Containment Doctrine\u201d for\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EThe National Interest\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExcerpt:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the presidential campaigns launch into full swing, there is little doubt that debating the effectiveness of U.S. efforts to combat ISIS will take center stage. Critics of the current administration\u2019s policy have argued that the strategy of containment to \u201cdegrade and destroy\u201d ISIS has been ineffective. This camp asserts that ISIS is a long way from being destroyed and is not even being contained: ISIS has expanded its reach to other territories, increased its attacks on targets outside its borders, and its ideological appeal shows no sign of decline. Meanwhile, supporters of the current approach remind us that this will be a long war and also point out that Islamic State has lost significant territory, its finances are being depleted, its recruitment is down, and local counter-ISIS forces are getting stronger.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet both views miss the mark about a crucial aspect of U.S. policy: containment. Cultivated in the early days of the Cold War to prevent the expanding influence of the Soviet Union, a massive state with a strong ideology and robust military, George Kennan\u2019s interpretation of containment highlights its limitations within the context of ISIS. Containment cannot be applied the same way it was against ISIS, an elusive adversary that has the characteristics of a state, a transnational terrorist organization and a social movement. Moreover, it is much harder to contain an ideological threat than a military one, as the U.S. experience with the Soviet Union showed. It is essential that policy makers recognize what containment can and can\u2019t do against ISIS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, containment should be understood as a way to limit ISIS\u2019s territorial expansion in Iraq and Syria, and not as an effort to destroy the organization. This is a tall order during a highly charged election season, where the policy alternatives range from carpet bombing to committing large numbers of troops. Thus, to move the counter-ISIS efforts into the win column, the United States should set three realistic expectations. First, it should make clear that the United States can contain ISIS as a state or an insurgent group, but it cannot contain its ideology. Second, the United States can prevent ISIS\u2019s expansion in the peripheral areas by bolstering communal resilience to contain its transnational affiliates. Third, the United States should continue to bolster our defenses against attacks on U.S. soil.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe rest of the article can be found on\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022%20containment.%20Cultivated%20in%20the%20early%20days%20of%20the%20Cold%20War%20to%20prevent%20the%20expanding%20influence%20of%20the%20Soviet%20Union,%20a%20massive%20state%20with%20a%20strong%20ideology%20and%20robust%20military,%20George%20Kennan\u2019s%20interpretation%20of%20containment%20highlights%20its%20limitations%20within%20the%20context%20of%20ISIS.%20Containment%20cannot%20be%20applied%20the%20same%20way%20it%20was%20against%20ISIS,%20an%20elusive%20adversary%20that%20has%20the%20characteristics%20of%20a%20state,%20a%20transnational%20terrorist%20organization%20and%20a%20social%20movement.%20Moreover,%20it%20is%20much%20harder%20to%20contain%20an%20ideological%20threat%20than%20a%20military%20one,%20as%20the%20U.S.%20experience%20with%20the%20Soviet%20Union%20showed.%20It%20is%20essential%20that%20policy%20makers%20recognize%20what%20containment%20can%20and%20can\u2019t%20do%20against%20ISIS.%20%20Instead,%20containment%20should%20be%20understood%20as%20a%20way%20to%20limit%20ISIS\u2019s%20territorial%20expansion%20in%20Iraq%20and%20Syria,%20and%20not%20as%20an%20effort%20to%20destroy%20the%20organization.%20This%20is%20a%20tall%20order%20during%20a%20highly%20charged%20election%20season,%20where%20the%20policy%20alternatives%20range%20from%20carpet%20bombing%20to%20committing%20large%20numbers%20of%20troops.%20Thus,%20to%20move%20the%20counter-ISIS%20efforts%20into%20the%20win%20column,%20the%20United%20States%20should%20set%20three%20realistic%20expectations.%20First,%20it%20should%20make%20clear%20that%20the%20United%20States%20can%20contain%20ISIS%20as%20a%20state%20or%20an%20insurgent%20group,%20but%20it%20cannot%20contain%20its%20ideology.%20Second,%20the%20United%20States%20can%20prevent%20ISIS\u2019s%20expansion%20in%20the%20peripheral%20areas%20by%20bolstering%20communal%20resilience%20to%20contain%20its%20transnational%20affiliates.%20Third,%20the%20United%20States%20should%20continue%20to%20bolster%20our%20defenses%20against%20attacks%20on%20U.S.%20soil.%20%20%20\u0022\u003EThe National Interest\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"How to Stop the ISIS Threat"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Professors Lawrence Rubin, Ph.D. and Jenna Jordan, Ph.D. outline key strategies for containing ISIS.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech Professors Lawrence Rubin, Ph.D. and Jenna Jordan, Ph.D. weigh in on how to stop the ISIS Threat."}],"uid":"32716","created_gmt":"2016-06-16 14:29:43","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:57","author":"Hayden Russell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-06-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-06-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"545431":{"id":"545431","type":"image","title":"Isis in Libya","body":null,"created":"1466107200","gmt_created":"2016-06-16 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