Lina Woronko
For the last five years, an extremist group of Islamic terrorists, mainly known as ISIS, has been controlling much of the news media with coverage of its increasing reach in Iraq and Syria. ISIS refers to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, which also may be known as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). Levant is an older geographical term referring to the large area of countries in the eastern Mediterranean, including the western part of Syria, Lebanon, the western part of Jordan, Palestine, Israel, and Egypt.
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| The map above shows the Middle East of Asia, where the targeted areas of Iraq and Syria are located. |
According to various reports, ISIS was established in 1999. However, the ultimate rise and recognition of the extremist group was not until 2010 when Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi took leadership after the death of their previous leader, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. Al-Baghdadi is an experienced Iraqi fighter whose intention for ISIS is to further establish a caliphate, an Islamic state ruled by one supreme leader, known as a caliph. Al-Baghdadi, pronouncing himself caliph, is known as the spiritual leader of Islam who claims succession from Muhammad.
ISIS is not affiliated with Al-Qaeda, another well-known militant Islamist organization, as they view the Koran differently. The Koran (a.k.a. Qur’an) is the central religious text of Islam. According to ISIS, it believes itself responsible for fulfilling the Koran’s apocalyptic prophecies. These prophecies include crucifixions and amputations. ISIS uses these strategies to enforce fear among their enemies as they advance from Muslim to non-Muslim territories. Their goal is to use this power to control all of Iraq, as according to the Koran, in order to keep a caliphate, one must have territory of the entire Levant.
Although ISIS itself is not a threat to the U.S. as of now, its supporters, however, may be. Early this January, U.S. authorities had arrested an Ohio man, an ISIS supporter, who had claimed to be planning an attack on the U.S. Capitol. Rasmussen, a member of the Western intelligence agency, has stated the concern for those who travel to fight against ISIS. He claims “the battlefields in Iraq and Syria provide foreign fighters with combat experience, weapons and explosives training, and access to terrorist networks that may be planning attacks which target the West.”
As of now, American air operations, along with Iraqi and Kurdish (ethnic group in northern Iraq) forces have been working together to fight against ISIS. As a result of this, ISIS has been more defensive and holding off on major conquests since the summer of 2015. Knowing the fundamentals of ISIS is important as the group grows and yearns for the strength it needs to develop. If ISIS turns the tide against its enemies and succeeds, a potential threat to larger areas, including America, may result.
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