SSB Awareness Series: All you need to know about ISIS - Part 1

Sunnis are the more dominant forms of Islam-at least 80% of Muslims worldwide. Some Sunni dominated countries include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Syria. However; Shea Muslims are the majority in some other countries such as Iran, Iraq and more recently Lebanon.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (also called ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh) is a terrorist group that follows an Islamic ultra-fundamentalist ideology and that controls a vast region across Iraq and Syria.

A bloody civil war between Iraq's Sunni minority and Shea majority (the jihadists are Sunni).

This extremist organization Group started in 2004 as Al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) and renamed itself as Islamic state of Iran and Syria.

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Goals:

·         Since 2004, a significant goal of the group has been the foundation of a Sunni Islamic state

·         Specifically, ISIL has sought to establish itself as a caliphate, an Islamic state led by a group of religious authorities under a supreme leader—the caliph—who is believed to be the successor to Prophet

According to a Reuters report that cited "jihadist ideologues" as a source, 90% of ISIL's fighters in Iraq are Iraqi, and 70% of its fighters in Syria are Syrian. The article stated that the group has 40,000 fighters and 60,000 supporters across its two primary strongholds in Iraq and Syria.

The group has already has captured the areas between central Iraq and the northern Syria which give them access to, many pivotal fields. The kept on spreading their presence and now hold control over an area which almost equal to size of Britain. It is Speculated that around 8-9 Million people live in areas controlled by them.

Financial Source:  They get money from the taxes they impose on people living in areas under their siege. Through extortion, selling oil fields under their control, black marketing and looting the homes of people who fled.

It has also been reported that several rich business man from countries like Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia who share anti Shiite sentiments giving money to ISIS. Reportedly ISIS makes $10 billion a month.

Let’s have a look at various countries point of view:

United States

The US air force has carried out the majority of air strikes against IS targets since forming a coalition of Western and regional powers in August 2014.

President Barack Obama is extremely reluctant to send ground troops to fight IS after protracted and unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the US does have about 3,500 troops in Iraq to train the country's armed forces.

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The US has also provided weapons and training to "moderate" Syrian rebel groups, and unconfirmed reports suggest US special forces have been fighting alongside anti-IS forces in both Iraq and Syria.

In October US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter signaled a possible shift in the US campaign against IS, telling reporters that US forces were prepared to engage in "direct action on the ground".

Saudi Arabia

Regional Sunni power Saudi Arabia is part of US-led military action against IS targets in Syria.

Riyadh also agreed to a US request to provide a base to train moderate Syrian rebel forces.

The kingdom has been a key supporter of the rebels, including hardliner Islamist groups, but it has rejected an Iranian accusation that it has directly supported IS.

However, wealthy Saudis have sent donations to the group and some 2,500 Saudi men have travelled to Syria to fight.

The Saudi authorities are concerned that IS will inspire Saudi jihadists to challenge the monarchy's legitimacy and seek to overthrow it. In July 2014, Riyadh deployed 30,000 troops to beef up security along its border with Iraq, and the following month hosted Iran's deputy foreign minister as the two regional rivals agreed to co-operate.

Jordan

Jordan, a staunch US ally, said it had joined the US and several Gulf Arab states in carrying out air strikes on IS militants in Syria in September 2014 to "ensure the stability and security" of its borders.

A government spokesman said it took action in order to "pre-empt danger before it arrived in our country", and that he believed the Jordanian public would understand the need to forestall the jihadist group before it became active in Jordan.

IS has threatened to "break down" Jordan's borders and the group enjoys the support of a growing number of people in the kingdom, some of whom staged demonstrations in the southern town of Maan in June 2014. More than 2,000 Jordanian citizens are believed to have travelled to Syria to fight in the past three years.

Before launching the air strikes on IS, the Jordanian military had doubled its military presence along the border with Iraq.

The killing of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh, captured by IS in December 2014, appears to have strengthened the government's resolve to take on the militants, with King Abdullah II saying his death would not be in vain and promising a "severe response".

Iran

Regional Shea power Iran has seen IS - which regards Shia Muslims as heretics who should be killed - advance to within 25 miles (40km) of its border.

Although Iran stands on the opposite side of much of the international community over Syria, it has called for co-operation against IS. It has reached out to its rival Saudi Arabia - the leading Sunni power - and turned a blind eye to US actions in Iraq, which it has historically opposed.

Officially Iran denies it has deployed any combat troops in Syria, but in June 2015, the official Irna news agency said at least 400 Iranian and Iran-based Afghan "volunteers" had been killed in the past four years.

In Iraq, the Iranians have played a key role in countering IS. Revolutionary Guards have advised Iraqi security forces, Iranian pilots have carried out air strikes, and Iranian-backed Shia militia have been mobilized.

Iraq

The former Shia-dominated government of Nouri Maliki marginalized Iraq's Sunni community, creating conditions which helped the extremist Sunni IS come to prominence.

When IS overran the northern city of Mosul in June 2014 before moving southwards, Mr Maliki requested US air strikes. However, US President Barack Obama said further military assistance was dependent on an inclusive government being formed.

He nevertheless launched air strikes in August 2014 when thousands of members of the Yazidi religious minority became trapped on Mount Sinjar.

In September 2014, Mr Maliki stepped aside and a new Iraqi government was named. The next phase of US assistance will reportedly involve an intensified effort to train, advice and equip the Iraqi military, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Sunni tribesmen willing to turn against IS.

It is not clear how new Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi will deal with the Shia militiamen who have stopped IS reaching Baghdad. Some have been accused of operating outside of the state's control and carrying out reprisal attacks against Sunnis.

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Syria

Since the start of the uprising against his rule in March 2011, President Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly warned of the threat of Islamist extremists to Syria and the wider region.

Western powers initially dismissed Mr Assad's portrayal of his opponents as "terrorists", but became increasingly concerned by the rise of IS and al-Qaeda's affiliate, al-Nusra Front.

Although they now acknowledge that IS cannot be beaten without attacking its strongholds in Syria, Western powers still want Mr Assad out of power and are reluctant to co-operate with him.

The Syrian foreign ministry said it was given advance warning of the US-led air strikes on IS targets on its territory in September 2014, stating it supported international efforts at "combating terrorism".

RUSSIA

Russia is not part of the US-led coalition but started carrying out air strikes in Syria in September 2015. It has also launched missiles from warships in the Caspian Sea.

President Vladimir Putin says his country is targeting IS strongholds and other militant fighters. However, the US fears Russia is actually targeting opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is a Russian ally.

Russia now believes that a bomb brought down the Russian airliner over Egypt last month, killing more than 200 people, mostly Russian holidaymakers. Sinai Province, an IS-linked Egyptian group, said it had downed the jet.
There is a lot more to understand the role of other countries which contributed in curbing the expansion of ISIS. Keep reading for more information.Join our Facebook group SSB Vision for more latest information. Share it with your friends.

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Click here for : SSB Awareness Series: All you need to know about ISIS - Part 2

About the Author: Ramandeep Singh gill from Delhi completed BSC in Hospitality and Hotel administration from IHM, PUSA. He loves to be surrounded by nature. Playing badminton is a stress buster for him. Great pet lover and interested in reading newspaper. Running and cycling always makes him feel energetic. Currently working as administration assistant cum IELTS Lecturer, he is a die heart defense aspirant.