ISIS (Terrorist Group)
Introduction
What is ISIS? The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, is an extreme Islamic terrorist organization that operates mainly in Iraq and Syria. ISIS is a former affiliate of Al-Qaeda, but they cut ties a few months ago. ISIS now works solely on its authority, and it fuels its mission by the ethnic rivalry between Sunni and Shiite Arab communities. Much of the Sunni support ISIS achieves aims at dethroning the Shiite- led government. ISIS is also infamous for its ultra-radical stance on religion, attacking and killing many Christians within their jurisdiction.
ISIS has become notorious for its characteristic executions. ISIS has killed many opponents of the jihadist organization through public executions and exposing their bodies in public platforms such as crucifixes. Targeting small children and women, ISIS has dismantled the family unit in the two war-torn states leading to people fleeing from the area in large numbers. Likewise, ISIS has responded to the international intervention with forceful force. Some of the casualties are foreign journalists who and their deaths broadcast all over the world through the Internet. To maintain their dominance ISIS requires a significant amount of funding.
Most of the financing came from crimes such as human trafficking, extortion, forceful acquisition of public assets and more recently acquisition of an oil well. The president himself has admitted that he currently does not have a plan to resolve the internal situation. So far, the international response has not yielded a positive result even though it is the last resort option. Failure to limit the terrorist cell at the level it is now will ultimately lead to annihilation all over the world. The group has categorically declared that its radical aim is to convert the whole world to the single Muslim religion. Religious dominance is not the only reason as to why the terrorist network should be vanquished. In this paper, I give various reasons to justify the renewed international effort in the war-torn area in Asia because ISIS is a global menace.
ISIS domination in Syria has rendered the country a terrorist state. With the recently acquired capital of Ar-Raqqah, ISIS seeks to take over the control of the whole of Syria. With social integrity completely dismantled, the few who survive the mass murders are fleeing to neighboring countries. ISIS gained prominence capturing small towns and cities in Syria and Iraq. Forceful eviction and fleeing have occurred in the cities.
The capture of Baghdad in Iraq is also in the plans of this jihadist cell. The control in the control is steeply military with the tools of trade primarily highly advanced weapons such as anti-aircraft guns. Failure to intervene in Syria will lead to Syria becoming a failed state. The fact that the there are other rebel groups involved and a government that has no power over its citizens means external resolution is necessary to prevent a worsening of the situation. That will also be the platform to extend their efforts all over the world (Sunil, n.pag) previously in extreme cases such as this the United States was involved to curb the threat. However, so far the Obama administration has failed to direct convincing military action in the region.
Currently, it is a no-brainer that the local Iraqi and Syrian forces are overwhelmed and desperately need assistance from the foreign community. One can only guess how the current US president will seek to handle the problem. Failure to do so prompts a response from the other superpowers in the world who are military capable of undertaking such missions.
The primary local goal of the ISIS is to wipe out the Shia community. Shia community forms the majority of the people living in Iraq and Iran. Therefore, the presence of such a well-organized and well-funded military organization poses a very difficult problem. So far, the modus operandi has led to the massacre of many innocent people. While traditionally terrorist groups focused on killing the males in the society, ISIS has gone a step further and targets helpless women and children in the society to deepen further the attention it is seeking. ISIS also targets the Christian community. At the rate at which they are killing, it is very necessary for the world to intervene and to contain the problem to prevent further complications.
Like many other terrorist organizations, ISIS is craving attention. So far, there is progress in destabilizing an enormous region of Asia comprising Syria and Iraq. Word on the ground is that Iran is not too far away. With the military might that ISIS carries in its confrontations, it will not be surprising if Iran reignites its nuclear program in order to deal with the threat. As if that is not enough, ISIS wants to be recognized differently, as The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. This title puts into perspectives other countries such as Lebanon and Jordan. For the sake of international integrity, this anomaly cannot be allowed to extend to the other unaffected countries.
West Asia forms a critical cog in the world economy. Interfering with the peace in that region will directly affect the oil prices leading to widespread inflation across the whole industry. However, the humanitarian effort also requires that we curtail the mass violation of human rights in the region. Recently known, ISIS harbors global ambitions, targeting zones in India and North Africa too. ISIS cannot be allowed to go global. (Sunil, n. pag). That ISIS has recruited hundreds of international citizens such as Americans and Britons will always leave open the threat to the West.
Summary
ISIS is one of the well-organized terrorist groups that the world has seen in recent times. Government forces involved against them recognize the clear hierarchy and delegation of power that governs the activities of the cell. To bring down ISIS is not going to be easy, as the going so far has suggested. Therefore, to resolve the issue there should be a collaboration of efforts from various groups. First, the military effort is paramount. The local forces on the ground require support through military numbers and use of advanced weaponry. Currently, there should be improved effort especially in aerial military strikes to curb the extensive growth of the sect. There should be fast bureaucratic action and decision-making to ensure that the forces on the ground get the support they need. The primary underlying factor that influences the organization’s growth is the political instability that has been experienced in Syria for a couple of years now.
Bringing sanity to the human rights violation will go a long way in cutting the ISIS influence (Coll, n.pag). Citizens unable to contribute to the fight can be able to play a part in the resurrection of Syria as well. Thus far, efforts to resolve the issue have also come from humanitarian organizations together with research groups (Higgins, n.pag.). Through discussion, people are coming up with new ways through which the threat can be curbed especially not on the military front. One such conference was held last year by the Women’s Center, The Presidential Precinct, the Morven Project of the University and the international charity organization AMAR. (Higgins, n.pag). For example as a result students are educated on the nature of the problem and the effects that the region stands to face (Higgins, n.pag).
Most of these students have lost in one way or another, so they are willing to play a part in rebuilding their country. Student activism is necessary because it will get the message to the world about the gravity of the situation through media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Religious intervention is also required. According to Hurwitz, the Islam followed by the organization is not in accordance with the actual Islam. ISIS brainwashes those it uses to carry out its terrorist activities.
Lastly, Muslim clerics and scholars should teach those in their jurisdiction the real Islam and hone them to live to the actual spirit of Islam. This is to curb the inculcation of unknowing jihadists from all over the world into the group. There should also be a concerted international effort to curtail funding for the terrorist organizations. There should be close monitoring of many of the external groups that are suspected to be involved monetarily with ISIS. Perhaps ISIS may suffer the fate of other such sects; revolt from within due to inability to sustain itself and its members. Most of their efforts do little to ensure the members can support themselves. However, this is a long shot, and it would not be worthwhile to wait and see. (Coll,n.pag)
Works Cited
Coll, Steve. ‘Why ISIS Is Our Problem | Realclearpolitics’. Realclearpolitics.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 May 2015.
Higgins, Anna. ‘ISIS: A Global Issue With A Local Angle’. Cavalierdaily.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 15 May 2015.
InfoSec Institute,. ‘Islamic State Of Iraq And Syria (ISIS) A Global Threat: Analysis Of The Effects On Cyberspace Of The Iraqi Situation – Infosec Institute’. N.p., 2014. Web. 15 May 2015.
Rajguru, Sunil. Sify,. ‘6 Reasons Why ISIS Is A Major Global Threat…’. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 May 2015.