Andrew J.

The West isn’t the solution in Iraq. It’s the problem

No doubt the 'Islamic State' poses some danger. Direct western intervention will only make it more dangerous

[Photo by Lucas Jackson-Pool/Getty Images] 
issue 16 August 2014

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[/audioplayer]To hawkish right-wingers, but also to many militant liberals, the antidote to the problem of Isis is clear: the application of military power to defeat the jihadists and lay the foundation for a humane and stable political order, beginning in Iraq but eventually extending across the Islamic world.

There are several problems with this analysis.

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