The Emerging Global Threat of Terrorism - Research Paper Example

College: ISIS and International Relations Introduction In the wake of the emerging global threat of terrorism linked to religion, another terrorist group has emerged in Iraq and neighboring countries. The ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham) has emerged as one of the most aggressive religious-based terror groups in the region. ISIS has one agenda to create a complete Islamic state governed by Sharia laws. What is more worrying is that the group is based on Sunni Islam and vehemently opposes Shia Islam or any other religions. Events that Have Taken Place Pertaining to ISIS ISIS has occupied large parts of Northern Iraq and is continuing in its aggressive strategy to gain more parts within and around Iraq. In their efforts to gain territory for establishing the Islamic Caliphate, the terror group has show inhumane violence and ruthlessness to opponents including Kurdish people, Kurdish government, Christians, and other minority groups. The group has committed many acts of murder and violence among other human right abuses. Initially, ISIS efforts seemed to be succeeding. The terror group overpowered Iraqi forces and continued to push them away. In view of the intensity of ISIS threat to Iraq state, the Kurdish government requested for international support to deal with ISIS. At first, the US and other international players were reluctant to offer the support requested by the Iraqi government. However, this changed later and the US and other countries agreed to offer support to Iraq in fighting ISIS and preventing their advancement. The issue of ISIS has major implications on international relations because it goes beyond Iraq and religious ideologies. Just like the growing threat of terrorism, it influences the relationship between different nations. What is the Main Political Issue? The emergence of ISIS and the threat it posses to international relations is beginning to become clear. It is now a known fact that the group intends to create an Islamic Caliphate in Iraq and the surrounding regions. What remains unclear is the real intention of establishing the Islamic Caliphate. The past strategies adopted by the group have shown that finding a clear to this question is quite challenging. If ISIS was only interested in establishing the Islamic Caliphate in Iraq, it would not be continuing with its quest for more territory including countries outside Iraq such as Syria and Jordan. This trend raises doubts regarding ISIS’s main purpose. According to Mendelson (para 5), ISIS’s strategy to take over Iraqi capital might have been specifically targeted towards the US. Apparently, the ISIS knew too well that the US supported the Kurdish government in Iraq, which it had been involved in forming since its invasion of Iraq. The US had formed ties with the Kurds, which is part of international relations. In fact, it is due to this relationship with the Kurds that the US agreed to get involved in the ISIS issue. The international relations theory is founded on the principle that states are not independent entities that are self-sufficient (Beitz 3-4). Economic interdependence and conflicts between states form part of the debate on international relations theory (Ikenberry and Michael 17). We are witnessing events in international politics where imperialist nations such as the US, Britain, and France are using their powers to influence political processes and governments in other parts of the world including Asia, Africa, and Latin America (Soares 115). The terrorism threat, which ISIS represents, is a matter of international politics because it juxtaposes countries in support and against terrorist ideologies. One side, ISIS and other Jihadist movements are trying to create their influence in different parts of the world. On the other hand, countries such as the US, the UK, other European nations, and Arab nations are trying to prevent this from happening by confronting ISIS and other terrorist groups. This has implications on the international relations between countries on the two factions. What is more relevant to international politics is the use of religious ideologies by ISIS to justify its course. The group seeks to establish an Islamic Caliphate, an ideology that it uses to win support from fighters and donors (Sprusansky 19-20). However, this religious justification has political inclinations. The radical Muslim world has often portrayed the Western world as evil and called for destruction of countries such as the US and her European allies. In this political disparity between the Western World and the Muslim world, other nations have joined on either side. According to Krastev (6), the 21st century is turning out to be the “anti-Americanism century”, which involved an increasingly negative perception and reactions towards everything that is considered American. One of these anti-Americanism expressions has been the terrorist-led attacks on Americans. ISIS belongs to this terrorist-related anti-Americanism. The anti-Americanism wave cannot be ignored in international politics considering the role that American has played in global politics. American is viewed as the custodian of democracy in the world. This is evident in the numerous interventions by America in different countries to remove dictatorial regimes and replace them with democratic governments. Although the views regarding this role vary widely, they do not hide the fact that America is a major player in international politics. Currently, America is involved in international politics in Crimea region. In an attempt to prevent Russia from taking over the Crimea region, the US led other countries in placing sanctions against Russia (Braun 39). This means that America is an active country in helping out other states that are facing threats. With the anti-Americanism ideology, the future role of America in international politics may change. If the ideology takes root, American will not be able to engage in international politics as intensely as it does currently. The inherent risk is that some powerful nations or groups such as ISIS may threaten the independence and security of other nations especially those that are not capable to confront them. How Major Political Forces Relate to ISIS Apart from the US, other countries have also joined the fight against ISIS. For example, the Australian government announced that it would be joining in the military action against ISIS in October this year. The intervention would be based on two factors including disrupting ISIS and providing humanitarian assistance to the people affected by the ISIS such as the internally displaced (Pickering para 2). Many other countries are also working with the US to fight ISIS. According to US State Department, over 50 nations, NATO, and the European Union are involved in the global efforts against ISIS (Sweet para 1). The fact that the ISIS question is attracting global concerns means that it is an issue of international relations. Many countries have joined the US and Iraq Kurdistan government because they believe that ISIS is a threat to international relations. The ISIS issue is also effecting the relationship between the US and Russia. The two countries agreed to share intelligence in efforts to fight ISIS (Kudrina and Paul 1). The relationship between the two nations has been tense and shaky for the longest time since the Cold War period (Reexamining U.S.-Russia Relations 1). The main cause of this weak relationship has been the different ideologies held and propagated by the two nations. Apparently, the US has often accused Russia of adopting the communist ideology, which formed the basis of America-Russia hostility in the Cold War period. The relationship and politics between the US and Russia is important because it affects many other countries as well. Apparently, countries that support Russia in its communist ideology as well as its distribution of weapons tend to be on opposite sides with the US. If this were to be the case worldwide, there could be major international conflicts involving countries on both sides. However, the ISIS issue could prevent this by helping in mending the relationship between these two world superpowers. The implications of a stronger US-Russia relationship would spread beyond the two nations. Apparently, the fear that Russia has could engage in nuclear war or distribute nuclear arms to terrorist groups such as ISIS would be gone. Moreover, there has been growing concerns regarding the relationship between Russia and China. Some have argued that this relationship could create another Cold War considering that China shares the communist ideology that Russia propagates (Koshkin 1). Just like in the previous Cold War period, many countries in the world will be involved. Considering the economic growth of China and Russia, the outcome of such a Cold War may surprise America and her allies. It would be more difficult to end the war considering the relative economic power that both sides have. The prospects of another Cold War are minimized by the joint agreement between Russia and the US to combat the ISIS threat. Such an alliance may help in cementing the relationship between the two countries and allaying any doubts or fears that they may have against each other. ISIS and National Interests International relations theories consider national interests as a major element in international politics. According to Clinton (499-500), the national interest goes beyond protecting a nation’s territory against external invasion to include projection and promotion of political and economic ideologies. The fight against ISIS has generated debate over the national interests of the different countries involved in the war. according to professor of political science James Laxer, Canada decision to get involved in the ISIS war fails to pass the national interest test (CBC para 9). This is just one among many such concerns raised by people from different countries that have joined the war against ISIS. For some, some nations have no valid national interest in joining the war. On the other hand, some nations are fighting ISIS under the purview of national interest. For example, the US involvement in attacks against ISIS has some element of national interest. The US has been a victim of a major terrorist attack in 2001 when Al Qaeda attacked the twin towers causing many deaths and destruction (Pillar 107). The September 11 terror attack on American soil led to a renewed effort to counter terrorism across the world. In the aftermath of the attack, the US invaded Iraq in 2003 in an attempt to deal with the terrorist threat based in the region (Le Billon 685). The US invasion just ended recently. Coincidentally, the ISIS has emerged as the US is pulling out of Iraq. Therefore, it is in the national interest of the US to join in the fight against ISIS to protect its achievements, if any, in Iraq over the last decade. After helping to topple the Saddam Hussein regime and bringing a new democratic regime into power, it would be a major blow to America’s image and future foreign policies if the ISIS succeeds in created an Islamic Caliphate. Apparently, Iraq forms a strategically important region for the US’s war on terror. Likely Outcome ISIS is a real threat to international relations. The group seems to wage a deliberate war against western ideologies including Christianity and free society. While this might seem as a narrow problem affecting only a small region, the real picture is that ISIS threatens the relationship between nations. There is a possibility that ISIS will link up with other terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda. It is worth noting that ISIS traces its formation back to al Qaeda (ISIS and Kashmir para 1). Although the two Jihadist groups disagreed and eventually took different routes, there have been indications that they might unite in the future. Just recently, Al Qaeda’s branches in Islamic Maghreb and Arabian Peninsula issued a joint statement that called for unity among Islamist groups in Syria and Iraq (Jones para 2). Such statements provide insights into the future relationship between ISIS and Al Qaeda as well as other terrorist groups. If ISIS establishes links and unites with other terrorist groups, the outcome could be devastating to international relations. These terrorist groups are supported by certain governments or factions of governments. For example, the Pakistani government has been accused of supporting terrorist groups in the past. For example, Pakistani intelligence service was accused of working with the terrorist group Afghan Taliban by an academic report in 2010 (Pakistan Accused 1). Considering that Pakistan has been working with other countries in the fight against terrorism, the ISIS link to terrorist groups could jeopardize the relationship between Pakistan and countries such as the US and the UK in the fight against terrorism. According to Nadia (33), Pakistan is considered as a frontline state in the war on terrorism. Pakistan is now viewed with suspicion because of the idea that it provides a safe haven for terrorists (Nadia 58). The implication of this is that the relationship between Pakistan and countries that are against terrorism is weakening. The example of Pakistan is just an indication of the potential threat that ISIS poses to international relations. Conclusion The ISIS issue in Iraq and surrounding region is has implications on international relations. The ISIS group is a terrorist group that seeks to implement a particular ideology that challenges any opposing ideologies. There is a great deal of internal politics around the ISIS question. Although ISIS seems to concentrate on Iraq, the implications of an Islamic Caliphate go beyond Iraq and the surrounding regions. Other countries especially from the developed world are considering their decisions to joining in the fight against ISIS in relation to their international relations policies. Without a doubt, the issue of ISIS has a strong link with international relations. Works Cited "ISIS and Kashmir." Kashmir MonitorAug 07 2014. ProQuest. 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