ISIL's Ongoing Operations in the Middle East - Coursework Example

s: Introduction The Islamic of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is the transnational insurgent and terrorist Sunni Islamists that have taken control over most parts of Middle East such as Syria and Iraq since the year 2013. The spread of ISIL has posed the significant threat to the U.S. homeland security, personnel, and facilities in the region (Samir and Esam 1). Following the support of political leaders such former President Saddam Hussein and other Sunni Arabs. The insurgents engaged tactics caused threats to the affected countries and their neighbors and attracted the attention of an international community including the United States to Iraq’s political issues and the civil war in Syria (Pregent and Michael 1). In August 2014, the U.S. President Barack Obama gathered the support of other international communities to retaliate against the ISIL terrorists. They engaged military and humanitarian effort to support the minorities in northern Iraq (Cartalucci 1). Just recently, ISIL’s deputy commander has been killed and the second in command has also been terminated. This document examines effect of the death of ISIL deputy commander will have on ongoing operations in Middle East and how the publicized executions will further ISIL cause. Background The war going on in the Middle East with different terrorists groups such as Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab and now the most recent ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant) has been a big issue for the United States and the international community from the turn of the twentieth century (Cartalucci 1). At the beginning of 2014 the ISIL various people have been beheaded by the ISIL operating in Iraq and Syria. The ISIL posted the images of those beheaded in their social media that have sparked condemnations from an international community. However, the ISIL and their supporters propagate the culture of beheadings due to religious intolerance since they consider it as appropriate behavior for religious Muslims in adherence to the Quran teachings (Pregent and Michael 1). The ISIL is using beheading of local non-Muslims to intimidate them into submitting to the weak states. The vice is extended to the Westerners in retaliation for the military actions taken by the UK and US leaders against terrorists (Cartalucci 1). Finally, ISIL is using terror such as beheading as a means of recruiting new fighters into their group. The ISIL has been making public execution videos show the world their inhumane ways of negotiating and to show their maximum brutality. Both the loss of ISIL’s deputy commander and the publicized executions will delay further operations in the Middle East and their cause. Iraq has been fighting the ISIL militants since they took control of Mosul. The takeover led to the fall of Tikrit city, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of the capital Baghdad (Samir and Esam 1). The ISIL militants have been committing outrageous crimes in the captured areas, including the mass execution of civilians and Iraqi security forces (Bustle). Soldiers of the Iraqi army have been engaged in massive fighting with the militants on different fronts and have so far been able to push back militants in several areas. One of the reasons for all this violence starts from the different interpretations of the holy book Quran (Pregent and Michael 1). The Quran is a sacred book that guides Muslims in their way of life; however many people view it differently. ISIL views the Quran as a justification for the mass amounts of violent and terroristic acts that they’ve committed and will continue to carry out (PressTV 1). Other Muslims view the Koran to be a peaceful book. With many different interpretations of the Koran; ISIL believes what they do is justified; however other Muslims see it as wrong and unjust. The possible effects of the recent loss of ISILs deputy commander of ongoing operations in the Middle East Deputy Commander Fazel Abdullah al-Hiyali, also known as Abu Moslem Turkmani, died during the army operation against the Tal Afar airport in the Northern Province of Nineveh. Abu Hajar al-Souri the Takfiri groups second in command was also killed in Mosul by an air strike. The Iraqi intelligence has also authenticated the death of Abu Alaa al-Iraqi, the leader of the ISIL military council in the city of Tal Afar, in an airstrike in the provincial capital. Before the execution of the journalist Kenji Goto, Japan didn’t think that it was even in a fight with the Islamic State. All Japan had done contribute a couple of hundred million dollars in humanitarian aid to countries fighting ISIS (Hayashi 1). Then an executioner who has come to be known as Jihadi John, threatened death to every Japanese person on earth as he prepared to slaughter Goto. Consequently, a political scientist at the University of Tokyo told the Times, “The cruelty of the Islamic State has made Japan see a harsh new reality (PressTV 1). In Tokyo, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called an emergency meeting of cabinet members early Sunday (Cartalucci 1). The prime minister expressed grieves over terrorism and vowed that terrorists will never be forgiven. He promised they would work alongside the international community to make them pay for their sins.” Also, President Obama condemned the “heinous murder” of Mr. Goto and thanked Japan for its humanitarian support to the Middle East (Cartalucci 1). “Standing together with a broad coalition of allies and partners, the United States will continue taking decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL,” President Obama said, using an acronym for the militant group (Pregent and Michael 1). Japan has sought to provide more to U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism. Mr. Abe said Japan would further expand aid to the Middle East in areas such as food and medical care. ISIL has made another enemy in the fight and Japan has offered to help the fight against ISIL. The goal that ISIL is trying to accomplish is to eventually gather all the Muslims around the world and fall under the caliphate. The death of the deputy commander would delay his goals to take over the countries around them and his future objectives (Pregent and Michael 1). The goal of ISIS, as they voiced publicly back in June, is to establish a new Islamic caliphate across the Middle East. Probably you’ve heard the word “caliphate” in the reporting on ISIS to date. Its the idea of an enormous Islamic state that encompasses all Muslims worldwide (Hayashi 1). ISIS’ desire (and apparent strategy) is to overthrow the existing governments of unstable, heavily Muslim nations and establish their theocratic state in its place. So, ISIS’ ultimate plan is to take over responsibility for, and control of, the whole world’s Muslim population by force if need be (Pregent and Michael 1). That force has been in constant supply — stories of ISIS’ grisly campaign throughout Iraq and Syria are consistently harrowing. The war against terrorism is a global operation that must be won if the world is to enjoy the former peace. No one would like engage in a battle that they have high chances of losing (PressTV 1). The announcement of death of top ISIL leaders is likely to attract the world nations that are against terrorism to combine effort and eradicate the militants before they reorganize themselves again. Since a victory is, all the antiterrorists want the death of the top ISIL leaders is good news and a hope of winning against terrorism. Effects of publicized executions on furthering ISILs cause IISL’s publicized executions help their cause in attracting possible candidates for recruitment. There’s an undeniable charm in this terror for a number of young people from the Middle East, Europe and America and Africa who intends to forgo the convenience and safety of ordinary life for the deification of the caliphate (Cartalucci 1). The level of its violence hasn’t deterred new recruits, and the numbers keep growing. In 2014, the Vice News shot a documentary in the Islamic State’s de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria. They revealed in the solidarity of a common cause undertaken at great personal risk (Pregent and Michael 1). In this understanding, ISIS is less like a typical authoritarian or totalitarian state than like a mass death cult. However, the public executions might delay their cause in trying to recruit and eventually take over the Muslim community to join the caliph. The execution of the Jordanian pilot Lt. Moath Al-Kasasbeh, and the execution of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto has created more enemies for ISIL and those countries have responded to the public executions and have retaliated further delaying ISIL’s cause to gather all Muslims to follow their beliefs (Packer1). ISIL’s public executions have been indicated by gaining the attention of the public. ISIL made the executions public to get a response and for the countries to retaliate. The ISIL uses religious tactics by portraying to the public that the Muslims are being profiled (PressTV). They showcase the public executions of the non-Muslims as a battle against Muslims. Through such tactics, the ISIL can recruit more followers from the Muslim followers in defense of their faith according to the teachings of their Quran (Packer1). Therefore, it technique aimed at winning more militants to fight against the world. On the other hand, this method has attracted news reporters especially the freelance journalists from across the globe interested in covering the report (Pregent and Michael 1). As many reporters and journalists go over to the Middle Eastern countries to report the current events that take place they get captured and are being threatened and are put up for ransom or the exchange of ISIL’s prisoners. In doing this, the ISIL can acquire resources to propagate their agenda of causing terrorism. The publicized execution is a strategy used by the ISIL to achieve their mission of causing fear or panic to the public. For example in 2014 an Australian citizen Khaled Sharrouf joined the ISIL and in August 2014 he publicized a photo of his seven-year-old son holding a head of executed Syrian soldier (Cartalucci 1). The focus of this approach was to raise concern to the Australians that the Australian Muslims were being recruited into the terrorist groups, and such recruits were likely to carry out the execution in Australia. Raad al-Azzawi and others were publically executed on November 11th, 2014 by ISIL because of refusing to work for the ISIL (PressTV 1). Also, a suicide bomber attacked al-Azzawi’s TV station and killed several people including five journalists because they refused to assist them in spreading terrorism and violence across the globe. That was conceived as an intention of the ISIL to control press through violence. Therefore, the publication of executions by the militants is likely to cause terror and panic among the public and make the terrorists achieve their goals. Conclusion The recent loss of ISILs deputy commander is will have effects in the operations going on in the Middle East on the side of militants and the international community. The objectives of ISIL are to cause terror in the world and attract new recruits from among those who fear to lose their lives. They use public execution to portray to the world nations that they are undefeatable. However, following the death of ISIL deputy commander will weaken the militant operations and may delay the operations, and the ISIL reorganize themselves. However, the international communities are likely to input more effort because they may view the fight against ISIL as an activity that is bearing fruits. Furthermore, the public executions of carried out by ISIL is intended to cause fear among the people and attract more rebels to join the militants. They execute those who fail to give them the support they need or force them to obey their commands. Furthermore, the use of public persecution posts to the public that the war is against Muslim believers against unbelievers. It is a means of creating religious conflicts among the world nations. Additional research can determine the extent in which the ISIL mission has contributed to the spread of terror across the globe and the involvement of Muslims in the terrorism. Works Cited Bustle." Bustle. BUSTLE. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. . Cartalucci, Tony. "Land Destroyer. Germanys DW Reports ISIS Supply Lines Originate in NATOs Turkey." Land Destroyer: BREAKING: Germanys DW Reports ISIS Supply Lines Originate in NATOs Turkey. LD, 28 Nov. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. . Hayashi, Yuka. "Video Claims to Show Beheading of Japanese Hostage Kenji Goto." WSJ. WSJ, 1 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. . Packer, George. "Why ISIS Murdered Kenji Goto." Why ISIS Murdered Kenji Goto. The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. . PressTV, “ISIL Deputy Commander Killed in Iraq." PressTV-ISIL Deputy Commander Killed in Iraq. PRESS TV, 5 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. . Pregent, Michael, and Michael Weiss. "Exploiting the ISIS Vulnerabilities in Iraq." WSJ. The Wall Street Journal, 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. . Samir Altaqi and Esam Aziz, “Middle East Briefing ,"ISILs Execution Backfires Big Time.". MEB. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. . Read More