Having helped to plan my fair share of international conferences and summits, I know a real success when I see it. And the White House’s summit on countering violence and extremism this week wasn’t one.
As an exercise in focusing on the homegrown aspects of countering extremism and facilitating better communication among religious, educational, community leaders and law enforcement, this week’s three-day meeting had merit.
But if the purpose of the summit was to craft a strategy — even a political one — to help defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), then its impact is likely to prove very limited indeed. That goal — if it can be accomplished at all — will only be realized by demonstrating that ISIS can’t expand the territory under its control and govern effectively in the territory it currently controls.
And that will require a long war and a sustainable military and political strategy involving local and regional allies.
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Hold another summit and try hearts and minds if you must. But the fight against ISIS will be won on the ground by showing the world that this quasi-state that aspires to re-create an 8th century, violent form of Islamic rule will not succeed in the 21st.
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