In calling for a war against Islamic State, French President Francois Hollande is engaging in a tragically counterproductive enterprise. Under international law, "war" can only exist between sovereign states. Hollande is rashly giving Islamic State precisely what it wants: legal recognition.
If ISIL was run by law professors this guy might have a point. But ISIL and related jihadis aren't fighting to gain legal recognition.
ISIL is run by people on a mission from God (as Strategypage is wont to note), so their legal status in our Western system is kind of irrelevant to them.
They want to kill us until all of us--of all religions--submit to them and their vision for what Islam is.
Kill them. Defeat them. Discredit them.
