In Britain where the House of Commons endorsed action against ISIS on Friday, Prime Minister David Cameron described the hallmarks of the latest campaign in the Middle East as patience and persistence, as opposed to shock and awe.<\/p>\n
For any government intending to join the US-led coalition, securing a strong national consensus on the need to confront the threat of ISIS must be a crucial first step.<\/p>\n
Yet, it is equally important to remember that the rise of ISIS in both Iraq and Syria was largely the result of a series of strategic miscalculations in recent years. Without fully analyzing and understanding these underlying causes, it will not be possible to formulate effective, long-term solutions for the future.<\/p>\n
Many of those now intending to address the situation in the Middle East have also long been seen part of the problem.<\/p>\n
British Prime Minister David Cameron acknowledged that. \u00a0He told the House of Commons that the shadow of the United Kingdom\u2019s last military involvement in Iraq hanged heavy over the chamber\u201d adding, \u201cbut the situation that we face today is very different.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is true that we now live in a different world. \u00a0We had never before faced a jihadist organization with a near-global pulling power, controlling vast areas of territory, a large arsenal of stolen weaponry, money and access to resources and information.<\/p>\n
For these reasons alone, it is absolutely necessary for governments to avoid falling back into bad habits.<\/p>\n
At times like this, there is no room for ambiguity.<\/p>\n
With ISIS already establishing itself close enough to be seen from inside its borders, Turkey needs a transparent, concise and coherent policy more than any other country.<\/p>\n
On his way back to Turkey from the UN General Assembly in New York, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told journalists that \u201cTurkey would do whatever is necessary in the duty that falls to its share\u201d and \u201c it would protect its borders by itself\u201d. The President also talked about a new motion to be voted at the Turkish Parliament next week authorizing the army to conduct cross-border operations.<\/p>\n
According to Mr Erdogan, Turkey continues to insist on three issues: the declarations of no-fly and secure zones as well as the provision of training and equipment for the Syrian rebels. Turkey seems to be still bargaining with the US-led coalition to have the removal of Syrian\u2019s President Assad to be part of the campaign against ISIS. This doesn\u2019t point to a serious rethink of discredited past policies.<\/p>\n