...Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) used to have a different name: al Qaeda in Iraq. US troops and allied Sunni militias defeated al Qaeda in Iraq during the post-2006 "surge" — but it didn't destroy them. The US commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, described the group in 2010 as down but "fundamentally the same." In 2011, the group rebooted. ISIS successfully freed a number of prisoners held by the Iraqi government and, slowly but surely, began rebuilding their strength. ISIS and al-Qaeda divorced in February 2014. "Over the years, there have been many signs that the relationship between al Qaeda Central (AQC) and the group's strongest, most unruly franchise was strained," Barack Mendelsohn, a political scientist at Haverford College, writes. Their relationship "had always been more a matter of mutual interests than of shared ideology." According to Mendelsohn, Syria pushed that relationship to the breaking point. ISIS claimed that it controlled Jabhat al-Nusra, the official al-Qaeda splinter in Syria, and defied orders from al-Qaeda's leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, to back off. "This was the first time a leader of an al-Qaeda franchise had publicly disobeyed" a movement leader, he says. ISIS also defied repeated orders to kill fewer civilians in Syria, and the tensions led to al-Qaeda disavowing any connection with ISIS in a February communiqué. Today, ISIS and al-Qaeda compete for influence over Islamist extremist groups around the world. Some experts believe ISIS may overtake al-Qaeda...
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...ISIS Introduction: ISIS is a terrorist group led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. It began as the Iraqi chapter of Al Qaeda. But the two groups always had disagreements, and ISIS broke away in 2014. Now ISIS and Al Qaeda compete for influence and recruits. In 2011, a civil war broke out in Syria in response to efforts to overthrow dictator Bashar al-Assad. ISIS quickly took advantage of the chaos. The group now controls a vast territory in Syria and Iraq. They’ve become one of the largest, most successful, and most violent groups operating in Syria and Iraq. They execute prisoners of war, enslave minorities. ISIS funds itself by selling oil, extracting taxes, and extortion. Until recently, ISIS has focused on consolidating and expanding its territory. But it seems to be shifting its focus to attacks outside Iraq and Syria. ISIS is good for Global Economy: Overview of Turkey(1): Reports that Turkey has almost doubled its exports to Syria after ISIS stepped up its control of border crossings has focused attention once more on the relationship between Turkey and ISIS gangs. ‘Co-operation’ between ISIS and Turkey led to a 99% increase in Turkish exports to Syria in the month of August, with the country jumping 10 places to 33rd most important export market. While in the first 8 months of last year(2014)Turkish exports to Syria totalled $574 million, this year that figure rose to $903 million. Since the town of Azaz near the Kilis border passed under the control...
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...deal about Isis. These are some of what I learned, Isis was formed in 2013 in the islamic state of Iraq and Syria. They are a jihadi Salafist militant group. They are gruesome killers and are known for their brutal and horrific lashing punishments, mutilations, beheadings and crucifixions. They recently have made little kids as small as the age of 5 into bombs and blowing them up as an act of showing other people how strong they are and what they can do. Secondly they also get the attacks on video and post them on social sites as a threat to people around the world. They have captured women mostly islamic and have made them slaves, men have turned into brutal inhuman, ruthless, merciless, and savage killers. ISIS operates in Iraq and Syria and are slowly capturing more cities. The self-proclaimed leader of Isis is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and he has two deputies one is responsible for Syria and the other for Iraq. ISIS has rapidly expanded its control over Iraq and Syria by taking control of towns and cities near major supply passageways, critical foundation and border intersections. Isis started as an al Qaeda splinter group. ISIS is also known as (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) which stands for ISIL and Islamic State which they symbolize as (IS). ISIS has approximately taken over Syria and Iraq almost completely. I've come to realize that he goal and ambition of ISIS is to create an Islamic state, which is led by a leader known as a caliphate, across Iraq, Syria and beyond...
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...know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles“ –– Sun Tzu, Chinese philosopher and military strategist, around 500 BC. “Our terrorism against America is blessed terrorism.” –– Osama bin Laden (on video) “The acme of this religion is jihad.” — Osama bin Laden (Bergen, 2001, p. 41) Many have asked, “what can we do to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)? ” There have been a variety of suggestions from airstrikes, isolation , establishing a national unity government in Iraq to the feasibility of a counter-offensive using 'local' militia's and only as a last resort U.S. Boots on the ground. These are all worthy ideas; however, it is imperative to get a fundamental understanding of what has caused this problem because ISIS is growing and becoming stronger (even though current air strikes and counter-offensives have been successful). Before a decision can be made a rigorous analysis is necessary, a sociological analysis, so that the United States and the rest of the world can determine what must be done regarding ISIS and why. (Thesis): This paper will argue that the challenge of removing IS lies in our ability to understand and realize that the terror group’s appeal is not its alleged goal of a regression to the glorious past of Islam (as Armstrong put it), nor that Islam is the fundamental cause of this anomaly, but that ISIS's appeal is, as Dorsey and Ali state, “...the opportunity it offers the socially, economically...
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...Intelligence Mission on ISIS Report Chye Yue Zhang SCTY 415 Studies in Intelligence II Abstract The threat of terrorism became very real when it caught the United States off guard and seized the attention of the rest of the world on the 11th of September 2001, using four hijacked airliners led by a terrorist organization named al-Qaeda in an attempt to conduct suicide missions of prominent landmarks of the U.S. The Twin Towers in New York were destroyed while the Pentagon in Washington D.C. suffered damage that took a year to repair. The total fatalities amounted to almost 3,000 while twice the amount of people were injured. Since then, most nations in the world have become wary of terrorist and militant groups and the potential threats that they pose. This can be seen by the tightened national securities of many countries especially on every possible stations and ports of all modes of transport that a terrorist may pose a threat to. At this point of time, although the al-Qaeda is no longer a prominent terrorist threat, another established and independent militant organization by the name of the Islamic State (IS) got the world concerned about its activities in the Middle East which in turn affected and continues to affect the rest of the world through its twisted beliefs and brutality. This paper aims to define this currently infamous group’s beliefs and objectives, how it works as an organization, how it is a threat to many countries all over the world, and the methods...
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...ISIS Introduction: ISIS is a terrorist group led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. It began as the Iraqi chapter of Al Qaeda. But the two groups always had disagreements, and ISIS broke away in 2014. Now ISIS and Al Qaeda compete for influence and recruits. In 2011, a civil war broke out in Syria in response to efforts to overthrow dictator Bashar al-Assad. ISIS quickly took advantage of the chaos. The group now controls a vast territory in Syria and Iraq. They’ve become one of the largest, most successful, and most violent groups operating in Syria and Iraq. They execute prisoners of war, enslave minorities. ISIS funds itself by selling oil, extracting taxes, and extortion. Until recently, ISIS has focused on consolidating and expanding its territory. But it seems to be shifting its focus to attacks outside Iraq and Syria. ISIS is good for Global Economy: Overview of Turkey(1): Reports that Turkey has almost doubled its exports to Syria after ISIS stepped up its control of border crossings has focused attention once more on the relationship between Turkey and ISIS gangs. ‘Co-operation’ between ISIS and Turkey led to a 99% increase in Turkish exports to Syria in the month of August, with the country jumping 10 places to 33rd most important export market. While in the first 8 months of last year(2014)Turkish exports to Syria totalled $574 million, this year that figure rose to $903 million. Since the town of Azaz near the Kilis border passed under the control...
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...rebel Kurdish and Arab troops fighting ISIS. About 50 Special Operation troops are slated to be sent to northern Syria, to "train, advise and assist mission," said White House spokesman John Earnest. The troops will not fighting the ISIS on ground, according to media reports. "It will not be their responsibility to lead the charge up the hill," Earnest said. But he added, "There is no denying the amount of risk they are taking on here." The decision to send ground troops to assist local forces battling ISIS is a shift in President Barack Obama's stance of not interfering with the raging middle-east situation by the...
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...Intervene with the (ISIS) Situation? Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant known as (ISIL) or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria also known as (ISIS) are the radical Islamic group taking over territory in eastern Syria and across northern and western Iraq. Their goal is to establish a unified Islamic state ruled by one religious leader that follows Islamic law or Sharia. So far they have been able to take over by doing three steps; first they ask you if you are already part of their religion. Second they give you the option to join if you already haven’t, and lastly if you don’t join they do what they are known for which is beheading people or putting people in groups of about twenty and massacring them with their guns. Currently the United States along with most of the other countries have not done anything to stop them from reaching their goal, but the U.S has been watching over and sending missiles making sure ISIS does not gain too much power. Although it has not yet happen, this great nation will soon become involved in the problem in some way. The U.S. Should team up with another strong country like Russia and go and hunt down ISIS. The Islamic state has recently beheaded an American Citizen in video and posted it on the internet. This man was American journalist Steven Sotloff. In this video the ISIS executer says “Obama Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of yours (“Steven Sotloff beheaded by ISIS militants”).” the...
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...com/news/world-middle-east-24179084 Showing how ISIS came to be through Al-Qaeda and who the leader is. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is the leader of ISIS but much is not known about his life before joining. Claims of ISIS members stretching to Western Europe and the US. Showing how much success ISIS had early on and the first time ISIS got widespread coverage after an attack in June of 2013. Comments on the threat to Iraq second largest city and the region as a whole. Goes on to list how ISIS is being funded in the surrounding area. Then goes on to list the fighting between various rebel groups in the region and the path ISIS has taken and the cities conquered. BBC is well known, well trusted source in reading and following stories from around the world. ISIS Fast Facts — CNN.com. (2015, February 27). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/ Starts with various pictures of ISIS and the bad things they do. The article focuses on the facts behind ISIS. In the past decade leading up to where we are today. A good source for finding a quick comprehensive list for catching up on the story. CNN is well known also and the statistics and facts can be checked. Unfortunately a good, majority of the facts can be found elsewhere. Vartanian, H. (2014, July 9). ISIS Destroys Historic Sites in Iraq and Syria. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://hyperallergic.com/136800/isis-destroys-historic-sites-in-iraq-and-syria/ The video of ISIS destroying artifacts of antiquity...
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...Proposal: My subtopic is Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in figuring out the motives of their recent activities. “ISIS” has become a danger to all of Americans. Today the Islamic state of Iraq is proudly showing its hatred against American politicians. This is both interesting and important because our families, friends and loved ones are in danger at this time. This is a major issue for our Country. I plan to research through any search engine which I have access to. This war is well known in our country, it has been occurring for over the past 4 years. Almost every news station, website, social media, journals, online articles and magazines have pieces of information about ISIS terror group. There has been several events as well as presidential conferences pertaining to this issue. Shakira Scott Dr. Selitto Research Paper ISIS Terror Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is a blood thirsty group committed to terror. “ISIS” gained a significant presence. “ISIS” is under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdad. A relatively unknown and enigmatic figure. Abu Bakr al-Baghdad was born in 1971 in Samarra. He was not raised by a wealthy family but was well-mannered. Growing up, his childhood was mainly spent attending religious courses. Like the rest of his family, Al-Baghdadi’s was a devout Muslim, and faith played a big part in his early life. Al-Baghdadi studied the Koran at Samarra mosques and took courses in Islamic science and the Hadith—the traditions, deeds...
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...particularly due to the longstanding battles between those under the Muslim faith. The battles that have lasting since the 1980’s as well as the involvement of external factors has shaped the socio-political structure of the Middle-East and has granted rise to various militant groups. The main focus of this paper will be spent on the Rise of the Islamic State: ISIS and the New Sunni Revolution. The paper will provide an analysis on the events based off the depictions provided by Cockburn, a war reporter from the inside of Iraq and Syria. Providing this point of view inside Iraq and Syria illustrates the corruption of governments, abuses of power and media deception. Cockburn starts off the first chapter with talking about the fall of Fallujah in January of 2014. This being a big victory for ISIS as Fallujah is located only forty miles from Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. He explains that the “war on terror” is failing since 9/11 and gives a prime example of President Obama asking for five-hundred million dollars to train the Syrian opposition and arm them with the proper equipment. This equipment however would end up in the hands of ISIS and be a key component to their victories. US allies such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar also provided weapons for the war that ended up in the hands of the enemy. Another major point the author talks about in chapter one is that the United States is potentially fighting the wrong enemy over the events on September 11th, 2001. Cockburn states that funding...
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...1A 9 December 2015 ISIS - A Threat to the World ISIS, a self-proclaimed Islamic state, is a wealthy terrorist group that defies the reputation of the Fertile Crescent. What was once the “cradle of civilization,” (Fulford) is now a hotspot of ISIS terrorist activity. ISIS has begun to make headlines in the news for the continued violence that they continue to spread throughout the Middle East. Through the combination of: barbarism, military skill, strong religious beliefs, and the twisted use of social media, ISIS has become one of the most notorious terrorist groups in the world, and the actions of this group of outlaws have prompted reactions from various world leaders. If ISIS is not combatted, they could become powerful enough to wreak havoc amongst the entirety of the Middle East. ISIS is an acronym standing for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria; it is also sometimes known as ISIL, because sometimes "Syria" is replaced with the term "the Levant". At a certain level, one gets the impression that ISIS just emerged from nowhere: the organization was not a presence in Iraq when the United States was actually engaged in full-scale military operations there and has only emerged as a strong political power since the American withdrawal from Iraq. Ward has pursued the hypothesis that the origins of ISIS can be traced back to an American prison camp in Iraq called Camp Bucca: "According to a CBS News investigation, at least 12 of the top leaders of ISIS served time in Camp Bucca...
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...Rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ISIS aka Islamic State of Iraq and Syria was created in 2006 by Abu Ayyub al-Masri and started out as an al-Qaeda splinter cell group. They are the most brutal terrorist organization alive today. According to the Jerusalem report3, a letter was discovered from the compound where Osama Bin Laden stated that ISIS was even too brutal for him and kicked them out of al-Qaeda. He stated, “ISIS's blatant disregard for civilian life was likely to damage the reputation of al-Qaida should the groups remain associated” (JPOST Staff). I also believe that if Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is not wiped out, it will become a threat to the world because wherever they go, they kill, kidnap, extort money, and behead...
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...Cabrera, Ray. "Colorado Teen Pleads Guilty in Plan to Join ISIS." CNN. January 1, 1970. Accessed September 11, 2014. A Colorado teen is arrested and pleaded guilty in joining the ISIS. The ISIS, also known as The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is a Sunni jihadist group in the Middle East. They self proclaimed themselves as a caliphate. They claim religious authority over all the Muslims in the world and brings them under it’s political control beginning with Iraq, Syria and some other countries in the Levant region which includes Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus, and a part of southern Turkey. Shannon Conley’s plan was to join the ISIS and serve as a nurse at a jihadist camp ended when she was arrested at the Denver International Airport in April. She was about to go on a journey to Germany and then to an ISIS camp near the Turkish border. She told investigators that she was going to Turkey to meet a man, who soon was identified as Yousr Moulhi. He is an ISIS member she met on the Internet and is planning to marry him. When Conley was arrested, she had certification papers for first aid and nursing. Conley faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Conley may not be the only American that is fighting alongside with the ISIS. “More than 100 Americans have tried to join various militant groups in Syria, U.S. officials say.” There are two other similar cases of U.S. citizens arrested for having connections with the terrorist...
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...in fighting against the radical group otherwise known as The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or “ISIS.” The question remains for the American people, is it best for our nation and citizens for the military to stay out of the conflict, or to try to resolve it? The American government should continue to act by sending combat teams into Iraq in order to protect its citizens, support its allies and to prevent and ultimately stop ISIS from harming innocent people. An important responsibility of the American government is to provide a sense of security and safety for their citizens, whether it is here in the country or around the world. The nation as a whole was devastated in August by the apparent murder of James Foley, an American photojournalist. The video was posted to YouTube and portrayed the horrific death as the Islamic State members decapitated the photojournalist who was captured in Syria two years prior to his execution. (DeYoung and Goldman, 1) His murderers, individually unidentified, claim to be members of the terrorist group known as The Islamic State. On September 2nd, another journalist by the name of “Steven Sotloff” shared the same fate as Foley. (Otis, 1) The crimes committed against these Americans have proven that action by our military is crucial. It is essential that we act swiftly in order to prevent such events from unfolding against other captives in Iraq and Syria. In order to protect its citizens, the American government must indeed support its allies...
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