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Source: https://www.jns.org/opinion/column/mitchell-bard/the-folly-of-negotiating-with-islamists
The Folly of Negotiating with Islamists
(JNS) Mitchell Bard - Imagine that after Sept. 11, American leaders had proposed negotiating with al-Qaeda rather than destroying it. The discussion would not have centered on dismantling its terrorist infrastructure, but on what concessions the West should make to persuade Osama bin Laden to stop attacking it. The idea is absurd. No serious American leader suggested bargaining with al-Qaeda or ISIS to moderate their ambitions. The U.S. hunted down and killed bin Laden and his comrades, and helped uproot ISIS and destroy its caliphate. The lesson was clear: Movements committed to religious conquest and perpetual jihad cannot be appeased. They must be defeated. This lesson has been forgotten by those who believe that America can appease Iran and that sanctions relief can moderate its behavior. Iran's rulers view themselves as leaders of a revolutionary Islamic movement whose mission extends well beyond Iran's borders. What separates them from al-Qaeda is not ambition. It is capacity: territory, an industrial base, oil revenue, embassies, a seat at the UN, and a nuclear program.