This is the very thought processes, that are part of the problem.
Full with must and insist demands.
Which ought to be replaced with should and ought.
The Author is, I believe, just another Authoritarian, which he claims were central to the rise and rise of Jihadism in the Middle east.
And therefore just another part of the problem, rather than any part of the solution!
Which simply has to start with education pieces, and to give credit, very much like this one, which sheets home the blame where it belongs, rather than the so-called decadent west.
As I look around me, and could choose to live anywhere, it simply has to be right here, and better than all the rest.
My heart weeps for the oppressed and downtrodden, many who are still seeing their quite massive Middle Eastern wealth squandered on weapons of war, and those purchases made seemingly legitimate? By much sabre rattling and continually stirred regional conflict.
[There are no real winners in war, just survivors!]
Conflict and sacrifice, which at the end of the day, serves just a few rich and powerful oligarchs/control freaks.
And lets end the other blame game and understand, inherently good men cannot be bought!
Let the Imams stop preaching their messages of hate and misplaced blame, and instead, reject all that disingenuous mendacity, in favor of the truth.
And as we know, it's the truth that will set them all free; and that is why the truth is resisted and the speakers/promulgators of it, officially maligned, marginalized; and or, disappeared! Da?
Simply put, if the gaze and the focus is maintained on the "sinful" west!
The real problems far closer to home, will continue to be ignored! Da?
And that good sir is the only must not to insist on, and central to all that is wrong in the Middle East, and other parts of a hugely radicalized Muslim world!
Rhrosty.

[There are no real winners in war, just survivors!]

Rusty, this is the most sensible thing you've ever said but keep in mind that, in a nuclear war, there will be no survivors.

And which warmongering nation has the most nukes?

You guessed it.

America!

I'm wondering why the author - Dr. Alon Ben-Meir's - blanket prescription for the Middle East doesn't mention Israel as part of the Muslim youth radicalising problem?

Where "Sustainable development projects will not only galvanize local resources, but allow for the development of ownership and a sense of empowerment that builds a social and economic structure from the bottom up."
This sounds like the military occupation-aid mix that has already proven a failure in Afghanistan.

Do Muslim youth in oil rich Iraq need $Billions in Western aid money to grow dates? Rather Iraq is a gun culture.

Dr. Alon Ben-Meir's suggestion that there be massive Western bombing of Syria seems like Israeli foreign policy which hasn't worked - given Israel has bombed key Syrian targets.

More Idealistic day-dreams, as if Islam and it's problems can be "cured" by Western military intervention.
Forget it, the Islamic world has more than enough money to fund economic development itself, why must we pay for it?
Islam has been battling itself since the year dot, let's just leave them to it, it's NOT our fight, and every attempt to get involved has only lead to death and suffering of ever greater numbers of "innocent" civilians, let alone those of we relatively civilised nations.
Cut off all connection, suffer the fuel shortages until we get other sources online, blockade their ports and air services, and let them wipe each other out, we'll all be better off without them, we can go in and pick up the pieces when they've satisfied their blood-lust and/or sorted out their goddery.
Any Muslims that want to go and join the fight, let them, but they surrender their Western citizenship in doing so, no returns, EVER.
Works for me

"War does not determine who is right, it determines who is left.."

David G,
That depends which nuclear weapons are used and by who?
For example, suppose the west just had a bellyful of the endless war of attrition in the Middle East; and entered into a secret back door deal with Putin, to share the spoils?
And then exploded one, two or three neutron bombs at considerable altitude, to take out friend and foe alike?
The advantage, if there is one, this weapon, which America apparently has, would only destroy organic life, with a massively huge burst of highly lethal radiation, even that hiding in bunkers many metres underground; leaving all the infrastructure largely intact, and usable again in around 6 months?
Meaning the US and Russia, could avoid an assured war of mutual destruction; share all the oil and a world where most of the warring miscreants were removed.
Now please don't follow your usual custom of associating knowledge of science, with avocation of its use!
Albeit, it would save millions in war expenses, and neither the US nor Russia need put boots on hallowed ground, just to stop apparently unstoppable genocide.
Just hurry it along!
Well, if that's what you truly want Isil?
And there's a probable/possible scenario in some war-rooms somewhere, describing that very (rather you than us) scenario, as a last resort outrage?
Owning weapons doesn't automatically mean you would use them? But I suspect, you by your own words, or expectations of others, might?
I find it passing strange that you always label the US as warmongers; but seem to be always looking the other way, when Isil, with plenty of foreign boots on hallowed ground, sets out on a patently murderous mission to kill/spill the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocents!
And only prevented by US airstrikes!
Your real beef with the US?
Rhrosty.

When we consider ISIS & similar fanatical groups there are a few things
to take into account.
According to the Koran and or Hadite (spelling) and land once occupied
by moslems ramains moslem land forever.
This means Jerusalem is moslem land even though it was previously occupied by the Jews.
The South Eastern part of Austria and Hungary, Rumania etc are moslem lands.
All of Spain is moslem land.
All of the Balkans is moslem land.
Most of India is moslem land.

They firmly believe this and their hatred of the Jews shows why a
negotiated solution in the middle east is impossible.

Every few hundred years someone has to slap them down.
It goes on and on, there is no end to it.