Some proposals have been floated for the destruction ofIsis, with the collaboration of Muslim nations. There is a consensus on theneed for a motivated ground force to penetrate, defeat and hold territories nowunder the Islamic state’s control.
Major powers are reluctant to wage another unpopular middleeast ground war, with the inevitable loss of resources and morale-drainingepisodes of hostage-taking, with displays of brutal executions. The generalopinion is that the elimination of Isis should be done in conjunction andalliance with neighboring Arab nations, preferably of the Sunni branch ofIslam. The problem is that regional national interests are sometimesconflictive, and reluctant to join and support a unified effort.
The U.S. and NATO nations have trained local forces in Iraqand Afghanistan, which have been proven to be unmotivated, ineffective,unreliable and inept, mostly due to low pay, absence of leadership and ideology.
Isis recruiters employ religious and material motivationalreasons to target young, unemployed, sexually repressed men, luring them tojoin their holy quest and bond with the Isis brotherhood. They are offeredcommando training, weaponry, a wife and good income, with the added promise ofparadise if things go wrong.
To combat this growing current threat from an estimated25,000 armed militants, a parallel effort can be made by creating amulti-nationality, all-volunteer military force that counteracts Isis’inspiration and motivation.
Historians can attest to the poor reliability ofideologically-lacking mercenary armies, compared with the excellence ofwarriors defending a cause with motivation to uphold their beliefs and/orcountry.
By contrast young brave men of many nationalities join theFrench Foreign Legion searching for adventure and purpose, with high ideals,esprit d’corps, outstanding military training and good pay.
The Jordanian legion étranger
The geographical location, strategic importance andpolitical factors point to Jordan and king Abdullah as ideal partner for thehome base, doing the training, formation and inspiration for this new force.
This volunteer and completely autonomous army could bebranded ‘‘Foreign Legion of Jordan,’’ inspired by the French Foreign Legion,with a similar raison d’etre.
Sufficient funds have to be allocated and awarded fromparticipating nations to Jordan, specifically contributed to furnish, equip andmanage advanced training with an initial effort for 10,000 all- volunteerspecial forces.
A campaign to attract recruits in social and news media,will commence and those that fit the profile will be encouraged to enlist andbe vetted and evaluated to achieve a ‘‘esprit d’ corps’’ that inspiresbrotherhood, a sense of purpose, and motivation. This force will beincentivized with the best and most modern equipment, symbology, aerial andlogistical support, and a generous pay scale, according to western standards.
Prospective legionaries will be assessed for their physicaland psychological condition, vision, hearing and smell, and after the initialtrial period, must attain high marks to be finally accepted.
The foundations for achieving good military formation of anelite body responds to a conceptual framework, adherence to strict individualdiscipline, respect for the inviolability of the military hierarchy andobserving moral and professional ethics, reinforced by institutional andmystical pride.
Among the goals to achieve top physical condition andhealth figure a balanced diet, continuing medical evaluation, extremestrength-building exercises, physical and mental robustness, and the hardeningof muscles, bones, organs and the nervous system.
Their tasks will be assigned according to militaryobjectives such as penetration on covert missions into Isis territory forgathering intelligence and for surveillance. The force can also be trained todestroy training camps, sabotage roads and highways which terrorists rely on totransport oil, food, water, fuel, medicine, weapons and ammunition. Thecommandos will learn to survive in the most inhospitable places and extremetemperatures, and endure and control hunger for long periods.
Creating this elite legion answers the yearning ofthousands of young men worldwide, many with valuable military experience, thatdesire and are willing and able to contribute to eliminate the threat posed byIsis, that is generating regional chaos and global concerns.