Defeating ISIS Tactically on Three Fronts
O'Neill Speaks to the Importance of Unifying Military, Financial and Political Strategies to Defeat ISIS.
Whether one sits on the left or the right, at the very least we can agree: something must be done about ISIS—before it’s too late.
As reported by FOX News anchor Patti Ann Browne on “America’s Newsroom,” the most recent deadly bombing at a vegetable market in Baghdad — which ISIS claimed credit for — underscores the need for action. The prospect of ISIS encroaching on and eventually taking Baghdad—the capital of Iraq? Though improbable to some, it could happen according to others. And yet it can’t happen.
In his run for the presidential seat, Donald Trump assures that he knows how we can take down ISIS—by cutting off the flow of stolen money they’re getting from oil fields. Many agree. Others, including Army Chief of Staff General Odierno, say not so fast.
Browne sits down with former Navy SEAL Robert J. O’Neill for his military strategy insights:
Browne: “We just heard that ISIS is taking responsibility for this horrible bombing in Baghdad. And you just heard Trump on Hannity saying take their oil. What do you say about that idea?”
O’Neill: “This is a three-sided war where you need to get the military edge… You need to the get the financial edge to cut them off economically… And there’s the political thing that’s going on there. Mr. Trump is smart enough to do the part where we need to take away their money. We’re going to need all the minds in the Pentagon to help come up with a plan.”
[FOX News then airs a recorded segment from General Odierno’s timely Pentagon interview, cautioning on the idea of U.S. troops taking over oil supplies, stating “There are limits to military power” and that “we haven’t properly looked at the economic and political side,” adding “it’s got to be all three that come together.”]
Browne: “Rob, he agrees with you on the three fronts, but he says in terms of taking away the oil and the funding that there are unforeseen political and economic consequences when going in militarily without coordinating first with Middle Eastern governments. What do you say about that?”
O’Neill: “I agree with him there. He said we’re all about the short-term fix and not the long-term fix. We are having a problem with the long-term fix. We always have because we refuse to think outside the box. ISIS has a long-term plan, and they’re setting up the Caliphate right now…recruiting people pretty much from every country in the world. If they’re going to be long term, we need to get minds together from both civilian and military sides of our Department of Defense, Department of State, things like that. We need to realize as a nation they’re getting ready to try to kill us on a major scale here in this country and we can’t allow them to that. I would hate to have another September 12, 2001, saying why didn’t we do something about it?”