POLI104 - Troy 2020 'containment of IS' - VNSAs

Containment of the Islamic State

• Traditional state-based containment strategies may not be effective against the transformed Islamic State (ISIS).

• Containment can still work if it addresses ISIS's hybrid nature, focusing on the power struggle and foreign policy restraint.

Key Arguments

• Containment was successful in curbing ISIS's expansion in the past.

• A transformed ISIS can still be contained by addressing its hybrid nature.

• Containment should adapt to the transformation of ISIS rather than copying past strategies.

Historical Roots of Containment

• George Kennan's policy of containing the Soviet Union aimed to strain Soviet power and curtail its influence.

• Containment during the Cold War relied on:

  • Identifying states as the main subjects.

  • Adversaries sharing a sense of risk.

  • American hegemony limiting ideological alternatives.

Containment and Non-State Actors

• Rise of hostile non-state actors complicates the transfer of containment strategies.

• Ideological contexts of non-state actors vary, ranging from secular to religious terrorist groups.

• Success against locally based terrorist actors suggests transferability of containment aspects.

Conception of ISIS as a Subject of Containment

• ISIS is neither a state nor a mere non-state actor, possessing a unique perception of threat and operating in an unlimited context.

• ISIS's hybrid nature means it cannot be easily categorized; it moves among different types of actors (state, non-state, secular, religious).

• Containment worked when ISIS exhibited limited characteristics of containable entities.

ISIS's Hybrid Nature

• ISIS combines secular and religious elements, making it a hybrid actor.

• ISIS's power is a product of Islamist ideology and circumstances like civil war and military interventions.

• ISIS seeks to build, not just destroy, differentiating it from groups like Al-Qaeda.

• Theological rhetoric must be interpreted within specific contexts of power configurations.

Containment Strategies

• Three angles to containing ISIS:

  • Fortifying international society to contain ISIS as a revolutionary actor.

  • Exploiting internal contradictions within ISIS's strategy-making process.

  • Engaging ISIS's propagated narratives and information strategy.

Realist Perspective on Containment

• Realism emphasizes restraint, diplomacy, and a focus on power.

• Containment should address the expansion of power, a prime maxim of ISIS.

• Containment is a limited strategy, part of a broader effort to halt ISIS's expansion.

Containing a Transformed ISIS

• Military means alone are insufficient; containment should be part of a calibrated policy set.

• Fortifying international society can contain ISIS by addressing its territorial center of gravity and power.

Contradictions Within ISIS

• ISIS faces internal contradictions between pragmatists and hardliners.

• ISIS combines religious fanaticism with strategic power-seeking calculation.

Narratives and Communication Strategy

• Communication strategy shapes perceptions of followers and opponents.

• Countering ISIS's information policy requires empowering indigenous media and policing jihadist social media usage.

• Avoiding direct counter-narratives to prevent reinforcing polarization.

Conclusion

-Contradictions within ISIS make containment applicable.
-Containment needs to address ISIS's ideological confidence and transformation.
-Restraint is a valuable insight for policymakers, and misguided responses fuel ISIS's propaganda.