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Europe Needs an Anti-ISIS Playbook
(Wall Street Journal) Richard Kemp and Joseph Raskas - Islamic State has declared, and capably demonstrated, its intentions to achieve genocidal goals. If not confronted, however, it's only a matter of time before it turns its attention outward from Syria and Iraq. European governments should launch devastating and unrelenting ground and air attacks to stamp out Islamic State. Visible and humiliating destruction and defeat of large elements of Islamic State is vital to discouraging more volunteers from joining and to dissuading their funders and supporters from strengthening them. In addition, large-scale efforts must be made to close the political playing field to racists and radicals in Europe, who seek to undermine Western values. Only when Western leaders can speak freely about the threat posed by Islamism, without having to fear violence and assassination in the street, can counterterror measures across Europe be relaxed. Last year, after two Muslim converts killed British soldier Lee Rigby in broad daylight in London, one of us, Col. Kemp, went on record as saying the fault for the vicious murder lies also with the "cowardly preachers of hate who seek out the gullible, poison their minds...and spur them on to bloody atrocities." The terrorist group al-Shabaab promptly responded by putting a price on Col. Kemp's head. Col. Kemp was commander of British Forces in Afghanistan in 2003 and headed the international terrorism team at the Joint Intelligence Committee of the British Cabinet Office from 2002 to 2006. Mr. Raskas is a combat veteran of the Israel Defense Forces.