The counter-ISIS coalition: Diplomacy and security in action

On September 10, 2014, the United States announced the formation of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Since then, ISIS has lost nearly all the territory it once claimed authority over, simultaneously losing most of its sources of revenue. Even as the caliphate’s power has significantly waned, the fight continues in an effort rout out the remnants of the group. Today Coalition partners are dealing with the challenges of returning foreign fighters, securing and rebuilding territory formerly held by ISIS, and addressing the humanitarian challenges in communities who experienced ISIS’s brutality.

On September 10, the Brookings Institution and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted an event commemorating the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Coalition, discussing the early days of the diplomatic and military efforts to bring together a diverse coalition of partner nations, how their efforts were organized, and recommendations on where the Coalition can go from here. General John Allen, president of Brookings, was joined by Brett McGurk, nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie, in a conversation moderated by Susan Glasser. Lise Grande, resident coordinator for the United Nations in Yemen and formerly the deputy special representative of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, joined via video conference.

Following the discussion, the participants answered questions from the audience. Join the conversation on Twitter using #CounterISIS.