High-ranking military officials from 30 nations fighting the Islamic State met Feb. 22 in Kuwait City, AFP reported. Security was tight at the meeting, where military leaders from the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, Iraq and other countries taking on the Islamic State discussed ways to cooperate in defeating the extremist group. Despite the coalition’s efforts, the Islamic State remains in control of large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria and has expanded its presence in Libya. In taking on the Islamic State, the United States and its coalition allies must keep in mind that military force alone is not enough to defeat an insurgency .