The emergence of ISIS or ISIL has presented the West with a huge problem. What to do with ISIS?

The Jihadists in Iraq and Syria have declared an Islamic State, to be ruled by Sharia law and with Abu Bakr al Baghdadi as its caliph. It is an unrecognized state by other countries at the present time. It’s radicalism and violence is so great that even Al Qaeda found them to be too extreme for their taste and disassociated themselves from the group. Some call the group ISIL which may be the preferred name as it refers to the word Levant which means an area of land called Greater Syria. A Greater Syria would mean further expansion into Jordan and Lebanon as well as Syria and Iraq.

They are an anti-western organization that is made up of Sunni Muslims, who find anyone else who differs from their strict interpretation of the Koran to be infidels. They present a serious danger to the countries in the region and to the world. They present an imminent threat to peace and stability. They are as extreme as you can get. Violence and death are their standard operating procedure. 

The west is the enemy and they abhor western culture. They are a well-organized terrorist group and the most well-financed terrorist organization in the world. Not only did they reap the monetary benefits of looting the banks in their conquered region but they benefit from the financial support of citizens from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Their foreign fighters, it is believed, number around 2000. Their threats to all of us who hold views different from theirs should be taken very seriously.

The recent beheading of James Foley graphically brought home the reality of what we face. There is no place in the 21st Century for this barbaric way of life.

So what must we do as a nation and as part of the world community? We, the United States, destabilized Iraq when we took it upon ourselves to militarily go into Iraq. We broke the pottery. We therefore, have a responsibility for the unintended consequences that we now see taking place.

I must admit that I wanted America to let the Iraqi’s and the Syrians decide for themselves their own fate. I was happy to think that we had withdrawn from a combat mission. Now I am not so sure we can absolve ourselves from responsibility for what is going on now.

ISIS represents a very real threat of a regional war. We must use all of our arsenal that we have at our disposal, diplomacy and have the use of military force as an option on the table. I don’t just mean airstrikes, I mean the use of a multinational military force to put down ISIS. If we are honest with ourselves, I can’t see any other way of dealing with the situation. They are too extreme to talk to.

ISIS counts on the fact that many countries have substantial Sunni populations that can put pressure on their governments to do absolutely nothing against ISIS. Just this past Sunday, Saudi Arabia hosted a conference on what to do about ISIS. We shall see if they have the stomach to deal with the situation that their own citizens have helped foster.

In England, the Jihadist take advantage of the free speech that England offers. The fact that members of their organization can travel more easily through borders makes them especially dangerous. They trample human rights in the name of religion. ISIS is nothing other than a form of tyranny. Their extremism is so dangerous to the stability and peace of the world we have no other alternative but to use force. ISIS has promised to bring acts of terror to a neighborhood near you. They represent a clear and imminent danger to all of us.

The Constitution of the United States and England are not suicide pacts. When a cancer occurs it must be removed. ISIS is such a cancer.

I am hopeful that the United Nations can be of assistance in this matter. The danger should be recognized as a real threat to peace and stability. The clock is ticking for the world to decide on how they wish to deal with the radicalism that ISIS represents.