To equip, advise, and strike from the sky has become the US military formula for complicated conflicts, including the current operations against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria. Two lengthy and bloody wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have dulled the US appetite for another war with questionable goals. Hence, the current “hands-off” strategy of arming, training, and advising the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) has provided an attractive alternative to another decade of US military involvement abroad. No amount of US airstrikes and military assistance, however, will transform the ISF into the proficient and professional military force required for long-term stability in Iraq.
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