Plan To Defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

This National Security Presidential Memorandum directs the Secretary of Defense to develop, within 30 days, a comprehensive plan to defeat ISIS in collaboration with multiple cabinet members and national security officials. The plan must address military strategy, rules of engagement, public diplomacy, coalition building, financial targeting, and funding mechanisms.

Federal Register Open PDF 82 FR 9125

Impact dates

Feb 27, 2017
Preliminary draft of Plan to defeat ISIS submitted to President

Key directives

Secretary of Defense to develop comprehensive plan to defeat ISIS
Preliminary draft due within 30 days
Plan must include strategy for military defeat, rules of engagement changes, public diplomacy and cyber strategies, coalition partner identification, financial targeting mechanisms, and funding strategy
All executive departments and agencies must promptly provide requested information
Secretary of Defense authorized and directed to publish memorandum in Federal Register

Timeline

Immediate

Plan development commences immediately
Interagency information compilation begins
All executive departments and agencies must promptly comply with information requests

Near term (90d)

Preliminary draft of Plan due to President within 30 days (by February 27, 2017)

Long term

Implementation of comprehensive ISIS defeat strategy
Potential rules of engagement changes
New coalition partner identification and empowerment

Risks & tensions

Rules of engagement changes exceeding international law requirements could raise legal and humanitarian concerns
Interagency coordination burden on multiple departments with competing priorities
Vague 'applicable law' qualifier on information sharing may limit actual compliance
Funding strategy requirement (sec. 3(a)(vi)(F)) implies potential budgetary tensions with Congress