President Obama used a powerful term when he authorized airstrikes in Iraq. He said that these strikes were necessary to help the Iraqi military “prevent a potential act of genocide” against the Yazidi people, thousands of whom were trapped on a mountain in northern Iraq without food or water.
We agree with President Obama that the U.S. and the international community must act to prevent the mass killing of civilians. When we respond to the threat of violence with more violence, however, we strengthen rather than undermine the extremist groups that are perpetuating the crisis. The United States and others in the international community must support non-military, civilian-led approaches so that Iraqis can live in peace and stability.
When we respond to violence with violence, we strengthen the extremist groups perpetuating the crisis.
The question of how to respond when civilians are in danger challenges us all. In the days since the strikes began, we’ve heard from many of you who see airstrikes as the only effective choice to save these lives.
It is true that U.S. airstrikes have yielded what seem to be dramatic and immediate results. While many people remain trapped on the mountain, Islamic State forces have retreated, allowing more to be rescued.
Yet history shows that the long-term costs of this short-term action will likely be high. U.S. military action over two decades in Iraq is one of the factors feeding in the crisis that ravages the country today. U.S. and NATO airstrikes in Libya in 2011—similarly justified by the need to protect civilians—did not bring stability to the country. Today, Libya is considered a “failed state,” plagued by armed militias battling for control of territory and power .
We believe, based in principle and history, that military action is not justified to respond to the crisis in Iraq. Over and over again, the call and response is the same. The U.S. must break out of this cycle of violence—acting immediately to address the crisis at hand and save civilian lives, but in a way that will help to unravel, not deepen, the entrenched conflicts behind the violence. Military action cannot address these root causes of violence.
Addressing the Crisis: Recommendations for U.S. Action
In the short term:
- Provide humanitarian assistance to those who are fleeing the violence. Continue to air drop food and much needed supplies in coordination with the United Nations.
- Work with other nations through the United Nations to organize humanitarian evacuations of stranded and trapped civilians.
- Bring the bombing campaign to an immediate end and set a strategic frame for U.S. interests in Iraq. Already the purported justifications and goals of U.S. military engagement have changed from genocide prevention to rolling back the Islamic State. Such dangerous mission creep increases the prospects of protracted U.S. military intervention in Iraq.
- At a minimum, members of Congress should insist that the president seek congressional authorization before taking any further military action.
- Stop channeling more weapons into an already volatile situation. ISIS is well-armed in large part because the group has captured U.S. weapons provided to the Iraqi government. Further arming the Kurdish or Iraqi army only adds fuel to an already raging fire.
In the medium-term:
- Work regionally to impose an arms embargo against all armed actors in Iraq and Syria. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait are key regional players who have provided weapons to the armed opposition, including ISIS, in Syria. The U.S. has provided weapons to Iraqi security forces despite widespread human rights violations, and many of those weapons have ended up in the hands of ISIS.
- Work through the UN Security Council to impose financial sanctions against armed actors in the region. Cutting off financial support can go a long way toward to blunting extremist violence.
In the long term:
- Work for a political settlement to the crisis in Iraq and Syria. These two conflicts are intricately connected and should be addressed holistically. Return to the Geneva peace process for a negotiated settlement to the civil war in Syria and expand the agenda to include regional peace and stability. Ensure Iran’s full participation in the process.
- Address both political and economic grievances of the population – particularly among vulnerable populations where ISIS is most likely to feed off the desperation of Sunni-majority and other marginalized communities. Strengthening long term political and economic security will help to build a stable and non-sectarian society in Iraq.
- Support Iraqi civil society efforts to build peace and reconciliation at the community level. Deep sectarian and ethnic divisions have long been exacerbated by U.S. military intervention and the current crisis. Sustainable peace will require peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts from the ground up.
Guiding Principles
As the U.S. works over the long term to address violence conflict in the region, these three principles should guide the work:
Recognize that there are no quick fixes.
The violence that we are witnessing in Iraq and Syria arises from complex, deeply entrenched conflicts. No effort will yield overnight results. Too often policymakers engage in a military-first approach in hopes of dislodging armed groups and gaining easy wins. This approach has failed. More than a decade of seeking military solutions to violent extremism has only yielded in a steady increase of extremist violence.
Use tools to prevent crises before they begin.
We encourage policymakers to use this latest humanitarian crisis in Iraq to expand and hone the tools of civilian peacebuilding and crisis prevention. When genocide threatens, bombing is presented as the only option. The U.S. needs to have more and better tools in its toolbox.
Look to the expertise within the community rather than imposing solutions from the outside.
Local leaders and activists are engaged daily in responding to extremist violence and insecurity, often through nonviolent means. Their knowledge and expertise in countering violent extremism should be central to any approach.
Lift up civic engagement as the only effective and sustainable way forward.
U.S. military actions will never be able to kill, eliminate or even contain every extremist group. More than a decade after 9/11, countless killings of extremist leaders have yielded minimal results in making the world and our country safer. The only way to diminish the power of extremist ideology is through the democratic process of upholding international rule of law, human rights and inclusivity.
The administration and your members of Congress aren’t hearing enough of this perspective. Please contact them and encourage them to take steps to help end the violence in Iraq.