ISIL Powwow

U.S. and foreign military leaders from 22 countries met at Joint Base Andrews yesterday for the latest in a series of meetings to talk about the nature of the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, integrating various coalition air and ground campaigns and the resources required, according to a Pentagon statement.

"The participating leaders acknowledge that although the military dimension of the campaign, alone, will not be decisive, the coalition's military effort will contribute to overall success," the statement reads. Among the observations from the meeting:

- The root of the struggle lies in the conditions of the region: Ethnic and religious tensions, exclusionary governance, intolerance, and economic privation.

- ISIL is the most pressing terrorist organization but not the only one. It is illustrative of other threat organizations manifest across the entire region.

- The Coalition has strategic momentum although ISIL has tactical momentum on several fronts.

- ISIL is an adaptive enemy. The coalition will adapt as well by leveraging all elements of power.

- ISIL has been very effective in exploiting information operations and social media to spread its propaganda. We must be more effective in using these avenues to communicate facts and create awareness of ISIL's activities and atrocities. The Arab members of the Coalition in particular understand this aspect and are taking action.