With military strategy in the Middle East remaining a hot-button topic in the presidential primaries, many are debating the most effective method of taking down one of the United States’ most prominent foes: ISIL, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, often referred to as ISIS. In a lecture in Levin Ballroom last Tuesday, Dr. Colin Kahl, National Security Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, outlined the Obama administration’s strategy for defeating ISIL, summarizing the effort with six key objectives and methods.

Kahl — who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East from 2009 to 2011 — began the lecture, titled “Defeating ISIL,” by noting that Iraq and Syria are at the “center of gravity” in the United States’ strategy for defeating ISIL. He added that recognizing the importance of Iraq and Syria does not necessarily mean ignoring the issue of Islamic extremist militants altogether, but rather shifting the main focus of the nation’s military efforts in the region.

The United States’ current policy involves five clear objectives in the region, he explained: to degrade and defeat ISIL; to establish a unified, stable order in Iraq; to facilitate a political transition in Syria that will de-escalate the ongoing civil war; and to promote regional stability. He said that these objectives necessitate a multi-year campaign, also noting that President Obama wants ISIL on a “clear path to defeat” by the end of 2016.

On the other hand, he continued, the United States’ strategy can also be separated into six areas, which he dubbed the “6 D’s”: defeat ISIL on the Iraqi and Syrian battlefield; use diplomacy to promote inclusive governance; deliver humanitarian assistance; disrupt ISIL’s global network; discredit ISIL’s narrative; and defend the United States’ homeland and its allies.

Kahl noted that the ongoing civil war in Syria complicates and slows the fight against ISIL, stating, “As long as Assad is present in Syria, most of the resistance will be focused on going after him instead of going after ISIL.”

However, on the home front, Kahl highlighted several aspects of homeland security that could be improved upon in order to prevent ISIL fighters from infiltrating the United States or its allies. These improvements in homeland security require greater information on suspected ISIL operatives sharing with the U.S.’s European allies, bolstering screening procedures for visas and entry into the country, and working with Congress to strengthen the current visa policy and preclearance check policy by adding in more requirements, he added.

The Executive branch also needs to continue working with Congress to identify vulnerabilities in the visa application process, Kahl argued. However, he emphasized that while greater screening is needed for candidates suspected of ISIL involvement coming from ISIL-vulnerable regions in Iraq and Syria, Syrian refugees should not have to bear the brunt of these restrictions. “It takes, on average, two years for a Syrian refugee to get into the United States. They go through every background check you can imagine. And I’m sorry, but the vast majority of ISIL fighters aren’t women and children who wait two years to get into this country,” he asserted.

Shifting focus back to the Middle East, Kahl noted that the U.S. has also worked out arrangements with Kurds in Syria so that the Kurds could call in coordinates for the U.S. to then target with airstrikes. With this strategy, he said, the U.S. and its allies have managed to kill 3,000 ISIL fighters and clear all but 98 kilometers of the Syria-Turkey border. These victories, he emphasized, demonstrate that there are fighters in the region willing to partner with the U.S. to protect their villages and their people and to defeat ISIL.

He continued, telling the audience that ISIL has not had a major victory since May, a good sign that U.S. strategy is working effectively. However, he argued, much of the progress that the U.S. has made in the region in the last few months has gone largely ignored.

In discussing ways to accelerate the United States’ strategy in the region, Kahl underscored cutting ISIL off from their financial resources and isolating them geographically via road blockades as two effective methods. “We’re [the United States is] really good at taking down states … and ISIL’s main vulnerability is that they’re trying to be a state.” He added that the U.S. and its allies have taken back approximately 40 percent of ISIL’s former holdings in Iraq in the past few months.

As for opponents who question whether the U.S. has a formal strategy for combatting ISIL, Kahl stated, “One may not think we have the right one, but we have one,” adding, “If you have a proposal for accelerants … what is your plan for the day after? And if you don’t have one, it’s not a political strategy, it’s a talking point.”

Yet ultimately, despite all the strategy, Kahl admitted that victory is not a “sure deal,” and stated that there is perhaps below even 50 percent likelihood in the region. However, he stated, “we have a shot. … And we’re going to go all in.”

A brief question-and-answer session followed Kahl’s lecture. The event was moderated by Prof. Shai Feldman (POL), the Judy and Sidney Swartz Director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies.

—Max Moran contributed reporting.