War Against ISIS

     The recent killing of Jordanian F-16 pilot by ISIS has generated some strong language from Jordanian officials, beginning with King Abdullah.  Jordanians are rightfully outraged with the barbaric killing of their pilot by ISIS and everyone, from street vendors in Amman to high government officials like the Interior Minister are promising revenge. 
     Our interest in this affair has spiked somewhat since the announcement that there is a possibility that an American, a young woman, was killed in the Jordanian bombing.  It bothers me that when previously Americans were so barbarously beheaded and videotaped, we really didn't do anything in response.  There's been all sorts of talk that we will combat ISIS and "degrade" (whatever that means!) their capability, but really nothing much has happened.  "Degrading," in White House-Speak, simply means that we will bomb the enemy until we think they are no longer capable of doing whatever they were doing, supposedly.  It doesn't mean reducing the enemy's capability until they submit to unconditional surrender.  "Degrading" is not what we did to Germany and Japan in World War Two. "Degrading" is what we did to Saddam Hussein in the first Gulf War when we stopped short of Baghdad, and look what that got us, a second Gulf War from which we have yet to extricate ourselves gracefully!
     The reason that I am so critical of our inaction, and our current false hope that perhaps now the Arabs themselves will clean-up the act, that somehow in their outrage Jordan and other Arab nations will rid of ISIS.  That, simply put, will not happen!  Remember Saddam Hussein's promise to have the "mother of all battles" in the first Gulf War?  That promise was no different than the statement recently made by Jordan's Interior Minister.  His statement that Jordan and Arab allies will destroy ISIS, that the "gates of hell had been opened,"  is certainly very colorful language.  He said that it was not America's war now, that it was now an Arab war. You mean to tell me that by killing one Jordanian it became an Arab war?  All the other killings that took place, that of the Americans, the British, the Japanese, and all the fighting that is taking place on Arab soil and all the Syrians and Iraqis that were/are killed, did not make it their war, but one Jordanian pilot murdered makes it an Arab war!  An interesting perspective!  It may very well be true that the war against ISIS is an Arab war, but call me a skeptic, a pessimist, a naysayer, whatever you like, the Arabs will never be able to defeat ISIS on their own!
    First let me cite some historical background so that you can get a better understanding of all this strong verbiage that is currently emitting from the mouths of Jordanian leadership.  In 1948, before even Israel was a bona fide independent state, a much superior, combined force of Arab countries launched an attack on the newly formed state of Israel.  The three main aggressor countries were Syria, Egypt and Jordan.  In addition, there was the Arab League (a league of several Arab countries), the Holy War Army (composed of volunteers from various Arab countries) and the Arab Liberation Army (another Arab volunteer army, an organization like the Holy War Army).  There was some very strong language coming from the Arab leadership.  Things like, "we will obliterate the Jews from this land," etc.  The combined Arab forces were far superior to anything that the Israelis could field, yet, they were soundly defeated by the undermanned and underequipped, rag-tag infant Israeli defense force.
     In 1967, while we were embroiled in Vietnam, the combined forces of Arab nations tried it again.  This time, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon were the main aggressors.  They were supported by all remaining Arab nations.  Once again, the Arab forces were vastly superior to Israeli forces.  The outcome after six days?  Israel lost less than a 1,000 men while the Arab forces lost over 20,000.  Additionally, the Israel gained huge chunks of new territory!  This was the "Six Day War!"  The de facto Arab leader was Nassar of Egypt who boldly announced to the world that "Israel will no longer exist" after they got through with it!  Nassar lost all support and prestige from his allies after that fiasco and ultimately lost his power in Egypt.
     In 1973, only six years after their defeat in the "Six Day War," the Arabs tried again in the now famous "Yom Kippur War" launching a surprise attack while all of Israel was celebrating its religious holiday. This time Egypt and Syria were the main aggressors while Iraq, Jordan, Algeria, and other Arab countries provided some personnel and equipment.  Egypt fielded an 800,000 man army while Syria had 150,000 troops.  Israel initially attempted to defend itself with less than 100,000 men and suffered some set backs.  But after regrouping and calling up the reserves, the Israelis were able to mobilize a 400,000 man army, still less than half the size of the Arab army.  This one lasted longer, a bit over two weeks!  Well, we all know how it ended.  If it hadn't been for Jimmy Carter and the so-called Camp David Accords, Israel would still be occupying the Sinai Peninsula and peeking into Egypt across the rather narrow Suez Canal.
     If I sound cynical and a bit sarcastic it is because I do not believe ISIS will be defeated by Jordan or any other Arab nation or even combined Arab forces no matter what Arab leaders say.  I question the motivation and leadership of the Arab nations' military forces.  It is not a question of courage, but rather that of motivation which I believe is lacking in most Arab armies.  Look at what is happening with the so-called Iraqi Security Forces, the new Iraqi Army.  There is no question that they are better trained and better armed than they were during the days of Saddam Hussein.  Yet, they are unable and unwilling to face ISIS and other insurgents.  When we went to war against Iraq, their so-called elite Republican Guard, supposedly the best of their army, turned out to be a joke!  So even the old Iraqi army was no good. The same thing can be said of the new Afghan army.  It seems that only the peshmerga, the Kurds are able to fight.  That appears to be because they are ethnically and culturally different and therefore, don't seem to have the problem or moral issue of facing a fellow Muslim or countrymen in combat.  Additionally, the Kurds are motivated!  It is "us against them" mentality that drives the peshmerga!
     The Jordanians say that all they need is more hardware, weaponry from us, and they will do the fighting and "drive ISIS into hell."  Nothing would make me happier if that was indeed the case and we did not have to risk any American lives and instead have a viable proxy fighting force that defeated ISIS.  But that will never happen.  The only way to defeat an enemy like ISIS is with "boots on the ground" (our boots!) and not "shock and awe" bombing.  The bombing only works if it is in conjunction with ground troops, and I don't believe that Jordanian or any Arab army is capable of destroying ISIS, not without our direct help!  Unfortunately, many of our civilian leaders in Washington are enamored with the "shock and awe" concept. The idea of conducting a "distant" war with inanimate objects is highly appealing.  I believe they have been playing too many video games and are convinced that real wars are fought the same way!
     What we need to do, at the very least, is provide Military Assistance and Advisory Group (MAAG) type assistance if we are unwilling to put boots on the ground.   We should provide military advisors to key Jordanian or other Arab ground units fighting ISIS.  We should have experienced MAAG type Army and Marine Corps officers advising and directing the troops.  In Vietnam, there was a marked difference in the fighting ability of RVN units when they had U.S. Army or Marine Corps advisors.  Those RVN units fought well,  unlike other RVN units that did not have U.S. advisors with them.
     By now we should have learned that all the brave talk of "mother of all battles," etc., really mean nothing.  As the old saying goes, "action speaks louder than words," and so far we have seen nothing of action.  Yes, the Jordanians have stepped up the bombing.  But that is the easy part.  As long as we provide them with hardware, they will fly and drop those bombs, it is not quite the same as being on the ground confronting ISIS face to face.  Will they be able to do that without our direct help, without at least our "advisors" at their side?  I doubt it.  Call me a skeptic, but we all know that verbiage alone will not defeat the enemy!