History of ISIS
According to Marsico et al. (2016), ISIS is also known as Daesh or ISIL or Islamic state. The outlawed group is listed as an International Terrorist Organization. The Islamic state group is a remnant of the Al Qaeda group from Iraq, and it is believed to have started its militia activities back in 2004. Founded by Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, ISIS hibernated due the USA troops attack in Iraq, and later reemerged in 2011. Its resurgence was inflicted by the growth of political instabilities in Syria and Iraq in 2012. It bolstered its attacks and killed thousands of people from the year 2012 and has continued to grow its ranks. In 2013, the group rebranded its name to Islamic state of Syria and Iraq. It popularized itself on bomb blasts, killings, kidnappings of foreign journalists and government blackmail (Marsico et., al 2016). In that same year the Islamic group launched a devastating through civil offensive attack on Mosul and Tikrit. The same year the leader of the outlawed group formed the caliphate that stretched form Allepo in Syria to Diyala in Iraq. In 2014, with the help of key partners, the US government began airstrikes in Iraq so as to eliminate the ISIL. The US government named it the Operation Inherent Resolve. In 2015, the militia group instituted other deadly strategies by networking and expanding to other countries in Africa like Egypt, Libya, Chad, and Senegal. In 2015, the ISIS group in Libya, released a video beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians who had been kidnapped in January 2015. ISIS group advanced in the West African countries because of the political instabilities during those times (Spencer, 2019). ISIS advanced more in Egypt and Libya during the political uprising. After the penetration in West African countries, the militia group has continued to implement its objectives by kidnaping of school children. The outlawed grouped has crossed borders and instituted attacks in Libya, Chad and Egypt have become imminent. The group also fosters its objectives by employing literate youth in the respective countries and offering them huge sum of money. Governments in these countries have continued to counter the attacks of the outlawed group, but their efforts are minimal. To eradicate this group, the whole world must come together and support the less capitalized West African countries (Spencer, 2019).
US Policy on the Group
The USA fallen a victim to serious devastating attacks from its parent group Al Qaeda in September 2001. According to Spencer (2019), the 9/11 attack resulted to 2977 deaths and more than 25,000 injuries. The financier Osama Bin Laden claimed that the attack was a result of US supporting Israel. Since that attack, president Bush administration drafted serious policies against outlawed groups. Since the attack, the US adopted a paradigm of shift in its focus to eliminate terrorism by enacting and implanting laws through the Congress. The policies require Secretary of State to provide to Congress, by 30th of April every year a full report and comprehensive statements with regard to respective countries and groups listed in international terrorism organization. Since 2004 the law replaced the policy on Patterns of Global Terrorism. The provided report includes the countries where the terrorist activity occurred, countries who are state sponsors for the terrorist; the report also provides the outlawed group responsible for the kidnaps, killings, blackmails, and injuries to Americans. With the help of National Counter Terrorism center, US policy reforms reports started to include statistical information on number of people killed by terrorists, number of injuries inflicted by terrorists and the kidnaps. The policy also offers rewards to people who capture terrorists who are under the list of International Terrorist Organization. The secretary of state also approves Aid funds to countries fighting invasion of terrorist groups in their vicinities. Since 2016, the US government supports the Nigerian government with $1 billion in aid so as to enhance faster eradication of the outlawed deadly Boko Haram group in the country. According to Spencer (2019), Chad receives $0.5 billion from the US government to continue combat and eradication of the Boko Haram in the region. In 2019, the Trumps administration granted Egypt $1.3 billion in aid for the purpose of countering the menace of terrorism in the region. The aid was meant to supplement Al Fattah defense forces in the purchase of modern and sophisticated military equipment’s to enable them fight and eradicate the group in the region. The US government also grants aid to civil organizations in the region to monitor the trend and flow of these outlawed groups. Annually, the US gives grants to Red Cross and other civil groups for the purpose of countering terrorism. Through its policy programs all over the world, the US government has not only help countries negatively affected by terrorism, but it has reduced significantly terrorist activities all over the world.
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Hierarchy of the Group
According to Marisco (2016), Abu Bakr al Baghdadi founded ISIS in 1971 and died in 2019 in Barisha Syria. ISIS has a direct command and control over its fights in Iraq and Syria. Baghdadi is responsible for management and administration of its activities in Iraq. Before his death, Baghdadi had 11 deputies that constituted the sharia council. The council is responsible for military affairs, media and financing of the group. Abu Muslim al Turkmani was Baghdad’s deputy until 2014 when he was killed in a reported US airstrike. He was responsible for operations in Iraq. Abu Ali Al Anbari is Baghdad deputy who oversees fighting operations in Syria. Abu Mohamed is the group’s official spokesman. Abu Arkan is the chairman of the ten-member sharia council. Baghdad affiliate Boko Haram is headed by Abu Mohamed Abubakar.
Current Strengths of the Group
According to Locks (2017), ISIS in West African region has employed sophisticated tactics in advancing its objective by killings and kidnaps. ISIS current strengths include use of drones in monitoring of government military forces and benchmarking on their tactics. By maximizing the use of drones, the outlawed group is able to monitor military movements in Nigeria, Chad, Mali, Senegal, Libya and Egypt. Drones also place them on a competitive advantage against the military because they can ambush them anytime and undermining their overall strategic missions (Spencer, 2019). Also, the Islamist group communicates with its members and key stakeholders through privy encrypted end to end online communications, making it hard for respective government to track their operations. They achieve this by employing tech gurus unemployed youths and offering them huge pay. ISIS in west African countries current strengths include utilizing on drones on intelligence and surveillance on densely populated areas like the markets. This act enables them to carry out bomb attacks in these areas thereby killing and injuring thousands of people. As per Lock (2017) facts, the ISIS group also has capitalized on the weak governance structures in these West African countries. They bribe military officials with huge sums of money at the country borders, which enables them gain entry and strategize on the attacks. Also, these militia’s targets and camouflage the local community in Borno state therefore making it difficult to be attacked by the military. The group also enjoys strengths by finances they receive from ransom money and use this to finance their operations. Its administrative orders are from the top command of Baghdad to deputies.
Current and Past Activities
According Spencer (2019), past activities of ISIS started in 2005, in London bombing, four suicide bombers linked to ISIS attacked London underground trains killing 52 people and injuring around 800 people. In the same month, in Tentena market bombing Indonesia, 60 people were killed and over 180 people injured. In November 2005, ISIS claimed responsibility in the killing of 60 people and injuring over 120 people at Amman bombing in Jordan. In July 2006, ISIS claimed responsibility in Mumbai train bombings which killed 209 people and injured more than 800 people. In March 2010, ISIS claimed responsible for the Metro Moscow bombing which claimed the lives of 40 people and injured over 200 people. In October 2010, ISIS claimed responsibility in the Lahore bombings in Pakistan which killed 42 people and injured 178 people. In May 2012, ISIS claimed responsibility in Russia, Makhachkala bombing which fatally killed 14 people and injuring 132 people. In US 2013 April, ISIS claimed responsibility in the Boston marathon bombing which killed 3 people and injured 183 people. In September 2013, ISIS claimed responsibility for the Westgate bombings which killed 67 people and injured over 175 people. In February 2014, ISIS claimed responsibility in the Borno massacre of over 200 people in Nigeria. In the same year in Nigeria, the group claimed responsibility in the Kano bombings which killed 120 people and injured over 230 people. In November 2015, in France, the ISIS group claimed responsibly in the massive shooting of people which killed 138 people and injured over 400 people. According to Locks (2016), ISIS current activities have advanced to kidnaps and diverse killings in other foreign countries in United Kingdom. One example is the 2019 April Sri Lanka Easter bombing which claimed the lives of 259 people and injuring over 500 people. Since 2019 and the emergence of Covid 19, ISIS has attacks have been sharply declining. The reason for declined attacks is the Covid 19 prevalence and the killings of its leaders.
Target Selection
Locks (2016) affirm that ISIS group specifically targets densely populated areas to inflict a greater death rate. Malls, schools, churches, and political gatherings are the target areas for ISIS to attack. The ISIS group also targets the less vulnerable in the society by luring them with money so as to hibernate and camouflage in the society to avoid government finding them. Unemployed literate youth also fall on the target group, as ISIS offers and promises them huge pay which in turn lures them to join the militia group. ISIS also targets government officials responsible for protecting borders against enemy aggression; they usually bribe them so as to facilitate their illegal entry into the respective country. In Muslim dominated countries, Christians are the target for the ISIS group.
Threat to US Interests
According to Spencer (2019), ISIS poses a serious threat to US interests of ensuring a peaceful world in channeling aid to developed countries, government is interested in eradicating poverty, improving standards of living, promoting humanity and fostering peaceful co-existence. ISIS disrupts this US interests by continued killings, kidnaps, human trafficking and bombings. ISIS goals are a real threat to overall SDG goals
Mitigation Strategies on Threats
Marsico (2016) suggest key mitigation strategies to counter the ever-changing resurgence of ISIS in the global arena. Prevention, protection and mitigation planning are key strategies to counter and eradicate continued activities of ISIS and other terrorist activities. Prevention planning urges community units and government agencies in real-time relay of information concerning planned attacks from the terrorist group.
Related Groups
Acording to Locks (2017) ISIS have relation to Al Shabab in Kenya and Boko Haram in Nigeria, Chad, Lybia, Senegal, Egypt and Mali.
Finances for the Group
Spencer (2019) argues that ISIS receives its majority of funding from illegal activities like kidnaps and demand for ransoms, sale of charcoal in Somalia, control of some banks who do money laundering, sale of oil, taxation, sale of gas, donations, theft of government assets and extortion.
ISIS insurgence in West Africa has continued to cause havoc. Killings, kidnaps and advancing radicalization to children will destroy the future generation. African countries must come together and offer long lasting solutions to the problem. They must adopt turnaround mitigation strategies so as to eliminate the devastating effect of ISIS advancement in the region. The US government and other superpower countries must also help in combating the adverse effect of ISIS resurgence in Africa. They can help by channeling counterterrorism aid so as to eradicate this menace.
References
Locks, T. (2017). Fighting ISIS . London Pan Books,
Marsico, K., & Long, A. G. (2016). ISIS . Minneapolis, Minnesota: Essential Library, an imprint of Abdo Publishing.
Spencer, R. (2019). The history of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS . New York: Bombardier Books, Post Hill Press
