‘The violent element is in the DNA of Islam’.
Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Chuck Nash says radical groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, can never be completely eradicated, and any meaningful degrading of the terrorist army will only come with competent ground forces working in tandem with powerful airstrikes like Americans saw Monday night.
Nonetheless, Nash is impressed by the performance of U.S. forces this week in the first airstrikes conducted in Syria and is pleased to see Arab allies, particularly Sunnis, joining the fight.
Late Monday, the Pentagon confirmed that the U.S. was carrying out the first wave of airstrikes inside Syria. War planes with precision-guided munitions and multiple U.S. Navy vessels firing a variety of missiles took part, with varying levels of assistance from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
By all accounts, the strikes were on target and avoided civilian casualties. However, Nash said Americans should have no illusions about what U.S. military efforts can and cannot accomplish in taking the fight to ISIS.
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