Time to stop poking with stick; get the club

After analysts declared the downing of the Russian airliner over Egypt to be the result of a terrorist bomb, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, "Our air force's military work in Syria must not simply be continued. It must be intensified in such a way that the criminals understand that retribution is inevitable." In his response to the Paris attacks, French President Francois Hollande declared the attacks to be an act of war and that France's response would be merciless.

There has already been an increase in air attacks on suspected ISIS targets, but what are they accomplishing? ISIS and groups associated with them have been threatened and attacked numerous times yet they have reacted by attacking more often and with more violence. Further, air attacks without ground forces accomplish very little.

Analysis of air attacks in previous wars has shown that the attacks were largely ineffective at forcing an enemy to surrender. Air attacks can destroy enemy munitions, weapons, and supplies, but if civilians are killed, the attacks become a recruiting tool. Threats have little positive effect and will often intensify resistance.

The Gulf War (August 1990 -- February 1991) was an example of an effective military response. Formulated by General Colin Powell based on a policy developed by former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, it required a clear statement of the goals of military action and the use of overwhelming force to accomplish those goals.

It is time to stop poking ISIS with a stick and apply a club to crush ISIS once and for all. This will take a coalition of participating nations under a central command. We must decide that the world does not want or need organizations such as ISIS, and then act to reach that goal quickly.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He resides in Chaffee, Missouri.