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ISIS
ISIS has no Air Force. No Navy. No ICBMs. But, as detailed in Ted Koppel's recent book, LIGHTS OUT, and by CIA Director, John Brennan on February 14, on 60 MINUTES, ISIS has laptop computers,
Our NSA and DHS cyber warfare defenders have already detected efforts by ISIS' cyber offensive to attack.
Fortunately, so far, they've displayed mediocre skills. The risk may be low, but the cost, should they succeed, could be large.
A robust defense of our critical national infrastructure is the first priority in defending against the laptops in ISIS' possession.
We should establish more safe havens within Syria for desperate civilians fleeing both ISIS and Assad. Syrians' first choice is not to forever leave their homeland, and we should make it possible to alleviate their suffering in a temporary status of internally displaced persons, rather than of permanent refugees.
In addition to continuing our ongoing and effective American air campaign, ground troops will be needed to remove the threat of ISIS. The insertion of western ground forces would "fulfill" an apocalyptic narrative inspiring ISIS' recruits, and so should occur reluctantly, if ever.
The fight belongs, first and foremost to the residents of the areas most affected. The Kurds, and Iraqis will likely require considerable financial aid from Saudi Arabia, to maintain or expand their offensives on ISIS, now that the depressed price of oil is devastating their overly-oil-dependent national budgets.
ISIS must be seen as a loser, in order to diminish its ability to recruit.