Bill O'Reilly and Stephen Colbert are accidentally having a serious debate on ISIS

Kudos to the Fox News pundit and his Comedy Central funhouse doppelgänger for inadvertently performing a public service

Colber vs. O'Reilly
(Image credit: Comedy Central/Fox News)

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a problem without a great solution. President Obama's plan is to pair U.S. and coalition airstrikes with boots on the ground — from some other, preferably Muslim-majority country, plus U.S.-trained Syrian rebels of unknown effectiveness and loyalty — to "degrade and ultimately destroy" ISIS. It's certainly not a foolproof plan, and most Americans are skeptical that the U.S. will be able to keep U.S. ground forces out of the conflict.

Obama's Republican critics have generally played the "it's not enough" card without the follow-up "here's a better idea" one. But Fox News star Bill O'Reilly has a plan: Create an army of 25,000 mercenaries to fight ISIS and other terrorists for America, anywhere in the world. The English-speaking army-for-hire would be trained by U.S. and NATO troops, paid well by client states, and told to follow the Geneva Conventions. It's an interesting idea, deserving of some debate, but it has its critics.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.