H O W A R D S B E N D

For the past several years, the world has been plagued with two major crises in the Middle East.  The first crisis is the surge in refugees fleeing Syria.  The problem had its beginnings a few years ago when Assad began the wholesale killing and torturing of his own people.  People initially began to flee to neighboring Middle East states and as the problem grew many refugees are making their way into European countries.  The second problem the world faces is the emergence and growing power of ISIS.  As ISIS has moved from Iraq into Syria, it has further aggravated the refugee problem as more and more people flee the area to escape getting caught in the crossfire between Assad’s forces and the attacking ISIS army.

I am going to deal with the second problem first, the growing strength of the ISIS forces.  Here in the United States, we are frustrated that both the Iraqi Army and the Syrian freedom fighters lack the will to take on ISIS.  We have seen the Iraqi Army melt away as they are confronted with a smaller and less equipped ISIS army.  We asked ourselves why these Iraqi forces cannot mount a concerted offensive against the forces of ISIS.  We are inclined to contrast this failure with the success that our Founding Fathers had against a much larger and formidable English army.  This same frustration is aimed at the small bands of Syrian freedom fighters who are battling ISIS in Syria.

But the comparison to the American Revolution is misguided.  The media asks why are these armies so unsuccessful in fighting the evil force that threatens their country.  We expect the Iraqi army to carry the fervor of the American patriots when in fact, they are fighting one evil only knowing too well that they will be returning home to a war ravaged country that is in the midst on an non-ending civil war.  Is it worth dying for a country that is filled with corruption and where life is threatened by daily sectarian bombings?  Or, are we expecting more recruits to join the independent Syrian forces to battle ISIS knowing that one day they must return to fight the battle with Assad and his tyrannical forces?

It is accepted opinion that  ISIS will only be defeated with a coordinated effort between ground troops and supporting military airstrikes.  ISIS is well entrenched in several metropolitan areas and we need ground forces going door-to-door to defeat this menace.

How about if we asked these refugees to join a fight for a better life for them and their families?  How motivated would these fighters be if they knew that a home, a community peace and prosperity would be a real option for them and their families?  I am proposing the United States agrees to accept up to 50,000 (of course, vetted) refugees and their families with the stipulation that they must join the United States Army for a three year stint and be required to fight the terrorist group ISIS in Syria and Iraq.  The recruits’  families will be given asylum in the US and be provided a home, schooling and health services immediately.  After the soldier completes his or her three year service, both they and their family are awarded citizenship in the United States.

We would have an army on the ground fighting ISIS, composed largely of Syrian refugees, fighting in a country that they know well and understand  using the most advanced military equipment, employing sophisticated military strategy and backed  by U.S. air power.  We give our military leaders the full arsenal they need to defeat ISIS.   We can continue this battle against ISIS bringing in a second 50,000 (of course, vetted) refugees to America until ISIS is clearly defeated anywhere they exist in the world.

I believe that the new refugees and future citizens who have just defeated the “existential threat” to our country will immediately earn the respect of their fellow country men and will be welcomed with much more open arms.  The is a policy that should be popular with both Democrats and Republicans and the required  legislation should pass easily n Washington D.C.  It is a strategy that allows us deal with the mounting refugee problem while dealing with the growing threat of ISIS.