As one of the world’s superpowers, the United States has over the years been involved in many military campaigns aimed at improving peace and stability all over the world. The fact that the country is always involved in different conflicts exposes it to many security threats mainly from terrorist organizations. Since the late 20 th century, the United States, together with other major world powers such as the United Kingdom and France have worked together to ensure that terrorism does not thrive in any part of the world ( Tesón, 2016 ). Despite their efforts, the scourge of terrorism continues to affect many people and countries around the world today. The war on terrorism seems to be an unending war, with new and more brutal terrorist groups emerging as soon as one is dealt with. After the defeat of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, another ruthless terrorist group emerged in the Middle East. The Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, also known as ISIS is one of the most ruthless terrorist groups to have ever existed. The group was dangerous since it was not confined to any physical borders as it aims to create an Islamic state in the Middle East ( Salem, 2016 ). The group attacked government forces belonging to different countries such as Syria and Iraq thus creating instability and a power vacuum in the war-torn region. The effects of ISIS began to be felt across the globe as they started recruiting people from different nationalities and as far as the United States and France. The group used the internet to radicalize people from different countries leading to many cases of domestic terrorism in Europe and the United States. The group also affected the global economy with its continued growth affecting global oil prices thus bringing the world economy to a halt ( Tesón, 2016 ). The effects by ISIS prompted the United States together with other countries to enter into a war aimed at eliminating the group and restoring stability in the Middle East.
Reasons that Forced the United States to Enter the War against ISIS
An analysis of the effects caused by the existence of ISIS shows that it was indeed necessary for the United States to enter into the war. One of the reasons that forced the United States to engage ISIS is the fact that the group had created instability in the entire Middle East region thus affecting trade between other countries and the region. ISIS launched numerous campaigns against Syria and Iraq with the main aim of toppling the governments that were in control to create an Islamic state which would implement Sharia laws. Instability in the Middle East region meant that the interests that the United States had in the region were also affected prompting the country to enter into the war to eliminate the terrorist group ( Paasche, & Gunter, 2016 ). Another reason that prompted the United States to enter into war with ISIS is the violation of human rights that were committed by the group. The terrorist group would constantly broadcast public executions where innocent people would be brutally murdered for crimes that they had not committed or for crimes that did not warrant the kind of punishment that they received ( Salem, 2016 ). According to Salem (2016 ), the humanitarian crisis created by ISIS created a moral obligation for the United States and other countries to intervene to protect people from being affected by the group. Finally, the United States decided to enter the war because ISIS was expanding at an alarming rate and it would have soon expanded into Europe and eventually the United States. With the advancement in technology, the group would use the internet to radicalize its sympathizers across the globe; therefore, expanding as time went by. The United States saw the trend and decided to intervene before the group had become too strong to be controlled.
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Timeline of the War Against ISIS
Even though there were other countries involved in the war, the United States has been the most active with the country carrying out more than 11, 000 airstrikes against ISIS since it began its intervention in mid-2014 (Glen, 2016). According to Glenn, the war against ISIS began on August 9, 2014, when the US-led coalition started carrying out airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria. On September 17, 2014, the United States military managed to get authority from the House of Representatives to train and arm Syrian rebels in a bid to increase the local’s opposition against ISIS (2016). On October 14, 2014, the Pentagon named the military campaign against ISIS as “Operation Inherent Resolve.” On November of the same year, officials of the Pentagon announced that the government was creating a program that would equip and train Syrian rebels to fight against the Islamic States (Glen, 2016).
On January 26, 2015, Kurdish fighters with the help of the coalition airstrikes managed to win a four-month battle against ISIS militants and drove them out of Koban, which is a Syrian border town. February 2015 saw the white house in collaboration with the private sector and civil society groups work together to counter extremist messaging on the internet. A special envoy was also assigned to counter ISIS messaging. On June 13, 2015, the US carried out air strikes against members of the al Qaeda group in Ajdabiya, Libya to target the leader of the group Mokhtar Belmokhtar (Glen, 2016).
On October 30 th the white house announced the 50 special forces soldiers who would be sent to northern Syria to help opposition forces counter the terrorist group ISIS. On January 8, 2016, the Department of Justice and the Department of homeland security created a new task force aimed at countering violent extremism ( Salem , 2016). On February 19, 2016, US air strikes hit an ISIS training camp in Sabratha Libya leading to the deaths of 49 people. February 22, 2016, saw the United States Special Forces and the Syrian opposition fighters take over the town of al Shaddadi from ISIS ( Salem , 2016). On May 19, Iraq forces with the help of the coalition forces drive ISIS away from the town of Rutbah which has a huge strategic value due to its location on the route between Amman and Baghdad. On June 26, 2016, the coalition forces together with Iraq forces managed to retake the town of Fallujah (Salem, 2016).
Effects on the Areas of the War
The existence of ISIS and the war that was carried out by coalition forces against it has greatly affected large areas of the Middle East. According to Tesón , one of the effects of the war that has been greatly talked about is the displacement of millions of civilians and the killing of many more. The coalition forces have also been accused of carrying out air strikes on areas that were occupied by civilians thereby increasing the number of casualties. It is estimated that more than 12 million people have been either displaced or killed as a result of the war against ISIS (2016). Another effect of the war is that it has led to the destruction of critical infrastructure and historical sites in many different areas in the Middle East. The constant airstrikes carried out by coalition forces, and the shelling carried out by the terrorists have greatly destroyed critical infrastructures such as roads and health facilities making it difficult for many people to move around easily or to get important services such as health care. The destruction of infrastructure has also made it difficult for humanitarian agencies to access civilians who are trapped in war-torn areas (Teson, 2016). Salem (2016) notes that some important historical monuments and sites have been destroyed by ISIS such as the Islamic citadel, the Great Mosque of Aleppo, and the Al-Madina Souq in Aleppo which was the world’s largest covered historic market. Another effect of the war is the Middle East is the fact that it has resulted in the destabilization of various governments in the region such as the governments of Iraq and Syria. The weak governments have failed to provide essential services to their citizens leading to poor standards of lives led by such people. Apart from affecting the stability of different countries in the Middle East region and beyond, the war on ISIS has affected the global economy by affecting the price of oil and the smooth flow of goods in and outside the Middle East region.
Effects of the war in the US decision making
The war against ISIS has changed the approach to decision making taken by the United States when it comes to intervening in different conflicts around the world. The decision taken by the United States was not to be directly involved in the war as it focused on training rebel forces so that they can better engage the enemy and secure their own countries. The training and equipping rebel forces is a prudent decision since it minimizes the number of casualties on the American side and saves a lot of money that would have been otherwise used had the United States been fully engaged in the war (U.S. Department of Defense, n.d). The United States also resorted to the use of airstrikes which proved to be more efficient compared to ground assaults. Air strikes caused more damage to ISIS forces within a short period. From the war on ISIS, it seems like the United States has formally resorted to only offering support during conflict instead of being directly involved as it was the norm before. The losses suffered by the United States in the past could have informed its decision to take a supportive stance during the war against ISIS, an approach that could be used in future conflicts that the United States will be involved in (U.S. Department of Defense, n.d).
Conclusion
In summation, various reasons forced the United States to enter into the war against ISIS. One of the reasons that forced the United States to engage ISIS is the fact that the group had created instability in the entire Middle East region thus affecting trade between other countries and the Middle East. ISIS launched numerous campaigns against Syria and Iraq with the main aim of toppling the governments that were in control to create an Islamic state which would implement Sharia laws. Instability in the Middle East region meant that the interests that the United States had in the region were also affected. Another reason that prompted the United States to enter into war with ISIS is the violation of human rights that were committed by the group. The terrorist group would constantly broadcast public executions where innocent people would be brutally murdered for crimes that they had not committed or for crimes that did not warrant the kind of punishment that they received. The group also affected the global economy with its continued growth disrupting global oil prices thus bringing the world economy to a halt, prompting the United States to enter into the war. The war on ISIS had various effects on the Middle East. One of the effects of the war is the displacement of millions of civilians and the killing of many more. The coalition forces have also been accused of carrying out air strikes on areas that were occupied by civilians thereby increasing the number of casualties. Another effect of the war is that it has led to the destruction of critical infrastructure and historical sites in many different areas in the Middle East. The constant airstrikes carried out by coalition forces, and the shelling carried out by the terrorists have greatly destroyed critical infrastructures such as roads and health facilities making it difficult for many people to move around easily or get important services such as health care. It is also clear that the war on ISIS greatly affected the decisions made by the United States concerning its engagement with the group.
References
Glenn, C. (2016, April 27). Timeline: US Policy on ISIS. Wilson Center . Retrieved from https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-us-policy-isis
Paasche, T. F., & Gunter, M. M. (2016). Revisiting western strategies against the Islamic state in Iraq and Syria. The Middle East Journal, 70 (1), 9-29. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3751/70.1.11
Salem, P. (2016). Navigating a turbulent middle east: Priorities for the next president. The Middle East Journal, 70 (4), 657-665. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3751/70.4.21
Tesón, F., R. (2016). The case for armed intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The Independent Review, 21 (2), 181-197.
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). (n.d.). Operation Inherent Resolve: Targeted Operations to Defeat ISIS . Retrieved from https://dod.defense.gov/OIR/
