GPHC Blog Power

George Larach
9/23/19
Global Politics
GPHC Blog Power

I will be analyzing the use of hard power in the conflict between the US and the Islamic State (IS) in
2014. Since the Islamic State was not prepared to negotiate and to employ soft power tactics, the US
resorted to hard power in order to resolve the situation. The US organized an inter military coalition with
53 countries named the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR). They
organized airstrikes against IS in mid 2014 and provided weapons, advisors, training, and supplies to
Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces. These attacks severely damaged IS infrastructure,
killing numerous troops and severely damaging central bases of operation. IS refused attempts at
negotiation, so immediately soft power and smart power could be ruled out. As of 2019, ISIS only retains
two percent of the territory they previously held. 

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