Sunday, November 13, 2016
GDBB 2 - The Rise of ISIS
Use one of the current events sources linked at http://hwc-spring2017.blogspot.com/2016/11/approved-sources-for-hwc-current-events.htmlto find at least 2 recent news article that relate to, support, or refute Johnsen's assertion about the emergence and influence of ISIS. Your comment should include the titles of and links to the news article. Then, briefly summarize these articles with an explanation of how these sources relate to the arguments presented in the briefing book. Don't forget to check your rubric for evaluation criteria!
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Against ISIS, Jordan has a big gun: social cohesion
ReplyDeletehttp://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2016/1221/Against-ISIS-Jordan-has-a-big-gun-social-cohesion
This article begins by giving details about the setting: ISIS militants had attacked Karak, Jordan, and taken over a Crusader castle. The police were overwhelmed, but people actually wanted to fight back. Many took up arms and demanded to be let into the castle, and the police could not hold back all of them. People in Karak and Jordan overall are very unified and will fight together for their survival. The citizens first showed their uniting against ISIS after a pilot in captivity was burned alive. People protested together, and have brought justice to ISIS militants in many other situations, working together with security forces. This article relates to the topic because the chapter "Rise of ISIS" is about how ISIS came into power and ways people are working to defeat them, and the people of Jordan are a great example of how joining forces can stop a larger power.
Can a divided Iraq be reconciled?
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/12/divided-iraq-reconciled-161227075605302.html
The article starts by stating the the Sunni and Shi'a political leaders of Iraq are trying to agree on a post-ISIS plan for Iraq. Both sides have proposed plans and neither side has agreed on a plan. They need to write out a plan of how to govern the Iraq state and the plan needs to be implemented. The Sunnis and the Shi'as have been divided again and again over various problems, and this causes setbacks in their planning for Iraq. Other proposals are too complicated and require too much to be realistic. Though ISIS has been largely subdued in Iraq, they are still there and could be harmful if the new plan for Iraq does not account for them. This article connects with the topic because it is about a country that has faced destruction because of ISIS and it shows just how much damage the Islamic State can cause if it is not subdued.
Islamic State and the crisis in Iraq and Syria in maps
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27838034
This article explains the situation in the Middle East about ISIS very well. Using interactive maps and graphs, it explains the expansion of ISIS controlled territory and the efforts being made to hinder it. It uses statistics to supplement the information in the visuals. It also explains how ISIS expanded so much. It also explains what a caliphate is, and what is being done to stop ISIS. This article links to the topic because it helps illustrate the effects of ISIS and its areas of control. It also shows the overall trends of how ISIS spread across the Middle East. This article presents a simple, clear explanation for where ISIS currently is, what is being done to combat it, and what it stands for.
Mosul: Smuggled diary reveals life of fear under IS
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37411167
This article describes a diary that was found in the Middle East. It is the diary of a boy named Ahmed (not his real name), under ISIS rule. It tells of how they restricted what they could wear and what they could watch online, and how he saw ISIS execute people. He details simple things such as when his mother baked cookies from the ingredients they could smuggle, or when they had to hide their mobile phones so ISIS couldn't find them. It is filled with detail about the conditions of everyday life under ISIS. This article connects to the topic because it shows the effects ISIS has on people being controlled by them. While the topic speaks about ISIS's expansion, the article shows an inside view on the effects of the expansion and the people affected by it.
ISIS releases a video of Turkish Soldier being burned alive: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/isil-burns-turkish-soldiers-alive-shocking-video-161223035619947.html
ReplyDeleteSummary of who controls what in Mosul: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2016/10/battle-mosul-controls-map-161023134534524.html
All in all, these two articles illustrate the points found in the Great Decisions about ISIS. Firstly, the article about ISIS burning a prisoner of war shows that this group is significantly more extremist even in comparison to other terrorist groups. For example, in the past Al Qaeda took many hostages but most often ransomed them to bankroll their movements. Despite their more radical actions, it seems that ISIS has been more ‘effective’ at reaching their goal of capturing weak states in the Middle East and creating a reign of terror in the West. Following up on that point, the map of control in Mosul shows that the invading armies have made progress through the city, sweeping fighters out. However, because the mentality of religious extremism, in many cases even the most secure ground is in danger of civilian attack. This is another point covered in the GDBB, that the ability of ISIS to recruit new fighters and for them to self-radicalize is unprecedented. In total, I consider the articles a very strong case for the truthness of the piece written in the Great Decisions book.
ISIL suicide car bomber kills a dozen in Baghdad
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/car-bomb-kills-dozen-eastern-baghdad-170108064631613.html
Thousands more Iraqis flee Mosul battles
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/thousands-iraqis-flee-mosul-battles-170104144610333.html
These two articles fully support what Johnsen wrote in the Great Decisions book. The first article shows that ISIS is a reigning terror in the Islamic State. They hit the neighborhood of Shia, which is in the capital of Iraqi. At least 12 people were killed at 50 or so injured. They bring terror wherever they go, as they also bombed Sadr City, with waiting labourers nearby, killing 35. This supports the fact that ISIS is working from the bottom up, bombing towns and cities. The second article shows that ISIS is pushing innocent citizens out of their hometowns and influencing their countries. To date as many as 130,000 Islamics have been driven out of their homes due to ISIS and the constant fighting going on around them.
Tracing the Origins Of The Islamic State.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/2015/09/30/444660064/tracing-the-origins-of-the-islamic-state
Abu Musab al- Zarqwari: Biography of a Terrorist
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5461842
Both NPR articles that I have discovered upon both relate back to the Great Decisions book. To begin with, the article of finding the origins of ISIS can relate back to the book as it discussed the affiliation with Al-Qa-Eda and Osama Bin Laden. Many of the former members of the Al-Qa-Eda formed the well known ISIS today. Al-Qa-Eda focused on a much different approach than ISIS. AL-Qa-Eda focused mainy on defeating the West corrupt Arabic regimes, ISIS took a more drastic approach by strictly killing Shi'a Muslims. Additionally, the aricle can provide more insight information on Abu Musab al- Zarqwari and his, origins and affiliation with both terrorist factions. Abu Musab al- Zarqwari as described started as a street thug and a petty criminal. He soon got into jihadi religion, in an extreme and hateful way and joined the terrosit group. Knowing his was a big contributer to ISIS eventually i can infer his views were more radical and extreme more so than the Al-Qa-Da's. Specifically wanting to wipe out the Shi'a Muslims. The next article further describes more about Abu Musab al- Zarqwari and in the book it explains about him as well. The article describes him that his youth led to his overall outcome. He was not educated, and was simply a criminal. This may have been a leading factor to the overall outcome of why he is the one who was infamous for suicide bombings, beheadings, and more. In the interview with NPR Abu was said to be in the wrong place at the wrong time essentially. Abu's jihadi views were taught by some of the most radical people in Jordan when his mother sent him to a Mosque. As we know, ISIS is a radical terrorist group which is a huge factor of how Abu began the formation of ISIS. Overall, both articles relate back to the text as they explore mainly the man who was responsible for starting the radical terror group known as ISIS.
Twitter Must Do More to Block ISIS
ReplyDeleteCain, Anne Cameron, and Beatriz Gonzalez. “Twitter Must Do More to Block ISIS.” The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 13 Jan. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/opinion/twitter-must-do-more-to-block-isis.html.
This article is about ISIS's use of social networks, specifically Twitter, to reach a more widespread audience. The authors of the article, both of whom have lost loved ones due to terrorist attacks, have decided to file a lawsuit against Twitter for what they believe is too little action taken against ISIS on the platform. In the past, Twitter has been hesitant to suspend accounts, but they have done so more since 2015. However, the authors feel that what they are doing is not enough. The GDBB chapter on ISIS also talks about the terrorist group's unique use of social networks to spread their influence, which this article relates to directly.
Iraqi Forces Retake Mosul University from ISIS, Military Spokesman Says
Dwyer, Colin. “Iraqi Forces Retake Mosul University From ISIS, Military Spokesman Says.” NPR, NPR, 15 Jan. 2017, www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/15/509951576/iraqi-forces-retake-mosul-university-from-isis-military-spokesman-says.
According to this article, Iraqi forces in Mosul, ISIS's current main stronghold in Iraq, have taken back the city's university. This is an important milestone for the liberating of Mosul from ISIS. In addition, since the campaign started in October, Iraqi forces have taken back most of the eastern part of Mosul, although the western part still remains a challenge to be overcome. The GDBB chapter mentions the establishment of ISIS's caliphate at Mosul back in 2014, so Iraq is making progress against ISIS if they are starting to take back Mosul from them.
US troops 'kill dozens of ISIL fighters' in Syria raid
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/troops-kill-dozens-isil-fighters-syria-raid-170109171506017.html
This article discusses the recent event of US troops raiding a group of ISIS fighters in Deir Az Zor, Syria. Although the United States wants to keep a low profile of fighting on the ground against ISIS and usually prefers air strikes, under certain circumstances they have an opportunity to fight on the ground. The troops killed at least 25 ISIS members and arrested several, although the official number is not confirmed. The Great Decisions book mentions and expands upon how the U.S. deals with and fights ISIS, which is reinforced in the article. The book also expands on the concept of ISIS as a whole, which is the terrorist group America fought in the article.
Istanbul New Year Reina nightclub attacker 'caught'
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/istanbul-police-arrest-year-nightclub-shooter-170116213535554.html
This article focuses on the shooting at an Istanbul nightclub, specifically, that the person thought to have done it was an ISIS sympathizer and ISIS claimed that they carried out the attack. Their reasoning for the attack was because the Turkish military started to get involved in Syria. The attack, carried out by one person, killed 39 and injured 69. This relates to the book because it shows an example of how ISIS carries out attacks all across the world, especially in countries that stand in their way, as explained in the book.
US air raids 'kill scores of ISIL fighters' in Libya
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/air-raids-kill-scores-isil-fighters-libya-170119160558471.html
This article is mainly about the U.S. trying to attack the terrorist group ISIS before they do any real damage themselves. Although the U.S. has tried to bomb this group before, this time planes and drones dropped bombs on two camps outside of Sirte, a city in North Africa. More than eighty members of ISIS were killed. The U.S. targeted these camps, because there was belief that they were going to target and attack Europe. This connects to the article “The Rise of ISIS,” because there was many times when the author states that the U.S. has tried to bomb ISIS camps and groups. The U.S. is not the only ones that are striking from the air. There have also been attacks from surrounding countries like the U.K. and France.
Ghor Attack: 30 Civilians killed in Afghan Province
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/afghanistan-30-civilians-shot-dead-taliban-ghor-161026061821724.html
This article is mainly about how officials are blaming ISIS for kidnapping thirty people, and then killing them. Among these people were children, and everyone was kidnapped from the Afghan Province. This act of violence is said to be a revengeful act against everyone for the death of one of ISIS’s leaders. Police later found out that this horrific scene was not caused directly by ISIS, but by supporters who killed the people to show their worthiness and support.
ISIS Claims Two Bombings in Baghdad, While Fighting to Hold on to Mosul
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/31/world/middleeast/isis-bombings-baghdad.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FIslamic%20State%20in%20Iraq%20and%20Syria%20(ISIS)
This article is about ISIS attacks and their attempts to hold on to territory. There were two bombings in Baghdad, one of which was a suicide attack that had at least 25 casualties. In addition to this, ISIS is close to being driven out of Mosul, it's last major stronghold in the country. Although recapturing Mosul would weaken ISIS immensely, it would not completely quell their attacks and organization. The United States is also assisting with the Mosul invasion which is helping, though many civilians have fled. However, there are still civilians that remain despite challenging conditions which makes it difficult for some forces to discern civilians from ISIS members that disperse themselves among the people. This relates to the second topic because it addresses one of ISIS's frequent attacks as one of their tactics as well as the efforts to subdue them. These efforts mentioned in the article are shown by the joined forces trying to recapture Mosul.
ISIS Suicide Attack Kills 48 in Southern Yemen
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/18/world/middleeast/isis-suicide-attack-kills-48-in-southern-yemen.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FIslamic%20State%20in%20Iraq%20and%20Syria%20(ISIS)
This article focuses on another ISIS attack in Al Mukalla, Yemen that killed 48. This attack highlights Yemen's inability to ensure security even in their controlled areas. This is especially difficult for them due to the conflict between the rebels aligned with Iran, the Houthis, who have taken control of the capital, and the Yemen government. ISIS has taken advantage of this major split in the country by launching several attacks in southern Yemen at their time of weakness. Also described in this article is one of ISIS's frequent attack tactics that is extremely hard to control. This is the disguise of members as civilians to initiate unforeseen attacks. This article relates to section two, which is about how ISIS is now a threatening power in the Middle East that is difficult to control despite the constant forces against them and includes how the separate conflicts in many nations has severely impaired their ability to completely eliminate ISIS. This is evident in the article because of the ISIS attacks in Yemen that are constantly occurring and how Yemen's focus on the national divide has hindered their ability to fight back.
“Donald, Hillary, and the origins of ISIS” https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-08-12/donald-hillary-and-origins-isis
ReplyDeleteThe article starts off by stating that Donald Trump claimed that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama created ISIS. The author, Christopher Woolf, then states that ISIS and al-Qaeda are similar, however they declared independence from each other in 2014 after ISIS declared a caliphate. ISIS was established in 1999, but the leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, joined al-Qaeda in 2004. Zarqawi was killed by the United States in 2006. Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi is still leading ISIS and their power is growing. Woolf concludes the article by suggesting that the Clinton and Obama administrations did not do enough to help the Middle East, and therefore had “indirect consequences that created conditions ISIS was able to exploit.” This article relates to “The Origins of ISIS” because it further explains where ISIS came from and the United States impact.
“Philippines: Abu Sayyaf frees three Indonesian hostages” http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/09/philippines-abu-sayyaf-frees-indonesian-hostages-160918125409592.html
The article describes various peoples’ experiences with ISIS from different countries. Three Indonesians that were held captive were freed along with a Norwegian. The Norwegian, Kjartan Sekkingstad, described his experiences as scary and said that he was treated like a slave. Sekkingstad also said he was given false information that he was going to be beheaded. Lastly, according to the article, ISIS was paid $638,000 for Sekkingstad to be freed. This article relates to the GGBB because it talks about ISIS beheading people and holding people hostage, as well as making people pay a ransom.
Recaptured by ISIS, ancient Palmyra loses two more monuments to antiquities destruction
ReplyDeletehttp://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2017/0120/Recaptured-by-ISIS-ancient-Palmyra-loses-two-more-monuments-to-antiquities-destruction
ISIS recaptured what was once ancient Palmyra in Syria in December. ISIS militants have since then destroyed the Tetrapylon, a famous ancient monument. ISIS militants have also destroyed part of the Roman theater as well. ISIS often destroys ancient monuments they deem “un-Islamic.” Some are saying this is a priceless loss for history and archaeology. This relates to the chapter because it is an example of how ISIS takes down the cities they capture.
ISIS claims responsibility for New Year's attack on Istanbul nightclub
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2017/0102/ISIS-claims-responsibility-for-New-Year-s-attack-on-Istanbul-nightclub
An attack on a nightclub in Istanbul on January 1st that killed 39 people and injured many others was claimed by ISIS. An ISIS-linked news source said that the attack was carried out by a “soldier of the caliphate” and confirmed it was a religiously-motivated killing against Christians. The gunman killed a policeman and another person before going into the club, shooting at the estimated 600 people inside. Most of the victims were not Turkish citizens. The Prime Minister of Turkey spoke out soon after the attack. This relates to the chapter because this attack exemplifies how ISIS attacks any faction of society that deviates from its values and religion.
Iraq Crisis: "Ancient Hatreds Turning Into Modern Realities"
ReplyDeletehttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/06/140618-iraq-shiite-sunni-isis-militants-maliki-borders/
This article discusses what it is like right now in the Middle East where ISIS has been. The article includes an interview with Gareth Stansfield who is in Erbil. He describes the situation as okay where he is only because ISIS is being held back by the army. He continues to talk about what the population need to know about ISIS which is its not only about ISIS the Shiites and ISIS are going at it in Baghdad which is truly the focus, the war in Baghdad. He the goes on to talk about the boundaries and give more history on the subject. He describes Kurdistan as trying to get anew state forming because they are trying to be peaceful and democratic. They contain many refugees who are urging to go westward so their independence will have to hold off a little until things settle. He ends with his prediction of a "catastrophic war" between th Shiites and the Sunnis where ISIS has become extremely violent with identifying who is Shiite and who is Sunni.
On ISIS's Path of Ruin, Many Sites of Global Importance
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/150312-isis-destruction-looting-ancient-sites-iraq-syria-archaeology/
Curry describes in this article what is happening with ISIS and archaeological land marks. They serve as a sense of history and ISIS has gone rampant in taking them down. As described by a member of ISIS they believe their religion calls for this destruction, '"We were ordered by our prophet to take down idols and destroy them.'" Taking place in Syria around 200,000 people have been killed and millions are homeless however the destruction continues. What's strange is the way they are showing the destruction, not what they're actually doing as van Ess says, '"The destruction is nothing special. Wars have always done this, all through history.'" There are 10 monuments that have been destroyed listed on the website, 3 from Syria and 7 from Iraq. The destruction is disastrous and unnecessary in the way they are showing it to the world.
Deadly ISIS attack hits Turkish soldiers in Syria
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/deadly-isis-attack-hits-turkish-soldiers-syria-170120135609620.html
This article describes an ISIS attack that killed 5 Turkish soldiers and injured 9 with a bomb in al-Bab. Due to this attack as well as others the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister decided that they could no longer determine a solution for the Syrian conflict without the help of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The article also talks about starting a ceasefire in Syria in attempt to settle the conflict between them. The United Nations also condemned ISIS for destroying 2 historical moments. This relates to the chapter by showing how different countries are coming together in attempt to stop ISIS and also how ISIS is expanding and beating troops who stand in their way.
US: Deadly air strike in Syria hits al-Qaeda camp
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/deadly-air-strike-syria-hits-al-qaeda-camp-170120180652366.html
Al-Qaeda, though not talked about as much as ISIS in the chapter played a very important role in the formation of ISIS. The article talks about a recent US airstrike on al-Qaeda in Syria and Libya which killed many members including ten commanders of the groups struck. The article also mentions how the US has been working closely with and supporting the Syrian local troops in attempt to defeat al-Qaeda. This relates to the chapter by supporting the fact that the United States have been forming allies with and are helping to support the troops who are attempting to get rid of terrorist group such as al-Queda and ISIS.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/donald-trump-wipe-islamic-terror-groups-170121044142466.html
ReplyDeleteDonald Trump: US will wipe out 'Islamic terror groups'
The article starts by saying the main foreign policy goal of the Trump administration is to defeat radical Islamist groups such as ISIS. He states in his recent inaugural speech that he plans to eradicate all radical Islamists groups from the face of the Earth. The article then goes on to say that to defeat groups like ISIS they will pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations, cut off funding for armed groups, expand intelligence sharing, and the use of “cyberwarfare” to disrupt propaganda and recruitment. This shows little change to how the Obama administration was dealing with ISIS as they were also working with Middle Eastern and European allies in bombing campaigns. This supports Ryan’s statements on how not only the Middle East is concerned with the growth of ISIS, but foreign countries like the U.S. feel they must help to put an end to the terrorist group.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/opinion/twitter-must-do-more-to-block-isis.html?_r=0
Twitter Must Do More to Block ISIS
The article starts by discussing the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and in Brussels caused by the Islamic State that was operating out of Brussels which caused the deaths of people that were close to the author. The author then goes on to say that they filed a federal civil lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against Twitter for providing support and resources to the Islamic State. They then go on to say that after the September 11 attacks of 2001 congress passed anti terrorism legislation that prohibited anyone from providing resources to terrorist organizations, and that Twitter was providing communication services for such terrorist groups. ISIS has used
Twitter as a means of recruitment, planning, issuing threats, and taking credit for its attacks. The article then gives examples of congressman saying that it is not right that Twitter has not shut down the accounts of known terrorists and that terrorists using Twitter is a violation of U.S. law. The authors then provide statements from twitter officials saying that Twitter does provide the means for anyone around the world to openly express anything they wants and along with that comes certain negatives. Twitter has recently released data that it has suspended over 350,000 Twitter accounts related with any form of terrorism. This supports Johnsen’s claim that social media has allowed for the Islamic State to grow and achieve its goals.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/world/2016/11/23/isis-a-catastrophe-for-sunnis/
ISIS: A catastrophe for Sunnis
The author begins by describing the fact that ISIS/ISIL is, in fact, close to being defeated. He notes that the militants are being pushed back, and their dreams of a caliphate are fading. Despite this, the author states, the biggest losers have been the Sunni Muslims that have been displaced, killed, and had their homes ravaged by the Islamic State. As many people may know, there are two types of Islam: Sunni and Shi'a. These are different because they hold different views on the life of Muhammed, and thus practice Islam differently. This is made even more interesting by the fact that ISIS claims to be a Sunni group who hates the Shi'a. So why are the people they represent the ones who are the most negatively affected? The answer is a mix of direct and damage. ISIS has seized mostly Sunni towns through military force for their bases. Sunni towns and communities have been razed to the ground by Russian and US airstrikes, and are being made purposely uninhabitable to prevent another ISIS uprising in those towns.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/12/13/isis-is-on-the-offensive-and-may-have-just-picked-up-a-surface-to-air-missile-system/?utm_term=.92d2b438717d
"ISIS is on the offensive and may have just picked up a surface-to-air missile system"
In this article, the author tells the reader about ISIS' conquest of a Russian military base in Syria called Palmyra. It is said that they have all but driven the Russian forces from this city, and have taken a huge amount of ammunition, weaponry, and armor. The Islamic State claims to have seized "upwards of 20 tanks, a handful of armored personnel carriers, howitzers and antitank guided missiles." The author notes that though much of it is made up for propaganda, they have acquired a large amount of weaponry that has helped them turn the tides of war in their favor in this area. In addition, ISIS has also been reported to have acquired an S-125 surface-to-air missile, an explosive weapon used to destroy aircraft. Whether or not they will be able to put it to use is unknown.
U.S.-backed Alliance Quickly Gaining Ground Against Syria
ReplyDeletehttp://theweek.com/speedreads/669592/usbacked-alliance-quickly-gaining-ground-against-isis-syria
This article is about the allies including the Kurdish YPG militia. They went to Raqqa, Syria to gain control of it from the Islamic State or ISIS. During this battle to capture a different city, Jabar, one of the main ISIS commanders was killed, Abul Jandal al-Kuwaiti. This gives a leg-up to the United States and Kurdish military because the Islamic Stare does not have one of their leaders to appoint them anymore. A negative side to that is now the Islamic State is angered and could potentially find a stronger and more intelligent commander. Raqqa is also one of the ISIS capitals which means that conquering this city takes away a strategic advantage that ISIS once had.
Deadly ISIS attack hits Turkish soldiers in Syria
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/deadly-isis-attack-hits-turkish-soldiers-syria-170120135609620.html
This article is about the potential of ISIS. This is because on the same day that Turkey claimed that they need Assad to have any kind of solution to the settling dispute with Syria, ISIS bombed and killed Turkish military forces. That shows that ISIS does not want to be destroyed and they probably think that it is a possibility for Turkey to destroy them does include Assad so they retaliated as a result of that decision. They seemed to be trying to let Turkey know that there is no beating them with or without Assad.
Islamic State Steps Up Oil and Gas Sales to Assad Regime
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-steps-up-oil-and-gas-sales-to-assad-regime-1484835563
The article talks about how the Islamic State blew up an Syrian gas plant after the Assad regime fell behind on payments. The article talks about the extent of the oil smuggling and how it is dangerous. Also it is discussed that Donald Trump’s administration sees it as more of a priority to destroy ISIS than Assad and would consider working with Russia and Assad to do so. The article has many parallels to the Great Decisions Briefing Book as in the article it talks about oil smuggling as the major source of income for ISIL which makes sense as if a state run oil company is buying it from them it would bring in a large amount of income. Also it eludes to there being ground troops in Iraq again under Donald Trump's administration when it is brought up that he would work with Russia to tackle ISIS.
How to Beat ISIS: Use Arab Armies to Fight the Group
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/world/middleeast/how-to-beat-isis-use-arab-armies-to-fight-the-group.html
The article talks about how many people perceive the strategy to defeat ISIS is to militarily take territory back from them however according to this article this is not the most effective way. The article illustrates that knocking off income sources and recruitment is the more effective way to eliminate ISIS is to stop money coming in. The article claims that ISIS gets most of its money from looting cities and stopping them from advancing would be more effective than another ground war. The GDBB is related as it discusses how ISIS depends on its propaganda and recruiting for continuing to conquer territory.