Out: Bombs. In: Jobs for Islamic terrorists.
The State Department that refuses label the beheading of an American journalist "an act of war" is offering up a new way to defeat ISIS: getting fighters jobs in their home countries.
"We cannot kill our way out of this war."
"We can help them [Muslim countries] build their economy so they can have job opportunities for these people."
First, yes, that was MSNBC's Chris Matthews asking State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf tough questions. Second, during the interview Harf refused to acknowledge one basic fact: Fighters aren't joining ISIS because it pays well or because they're poor. They're joining ISIS to please Allah. What makes these 17-year-old kids pick up an AK-47? Maybe the promise of 72-virgins upon death has something to do with it.
Thousands of fighters are pouring into Iraq and Syria from economically sound countries like Great Britain and even the United States. This ridiculous "jobs" suggestion proves that the Obama administration, and the State Department in particular, still continue to deny the true motives behind ISIS and other Islamic terrorist groups. When Harf says the administration wants to get at the "root cause" of why young men join terror organizations, she's being disingenuous. The root cause is radical Islam, and the White House refuses to mention it.
The upside to this exchange is Harf acknowledging that this is, in fact, a war. What progress.