Spread of ISIS and Transnational Terrorism / Welcome to Generational War

Introduction

The massacres in the Brussels attack and recent San Bernardino and Paris attacks were horrific. They are reminders of the sophisticated threats the world faces from transnational terrorist groups. The attacks are also a call for action against the ongoing fight against terrorism. The attacks add importance to analyzing the threats and the measures needed to counter both local and transnational terrorist groups (United States, 2018). ISIS is the most urgent security threat worldwide. The terrorist group has taken advantage of the Syrian conflict and Iraqs sectarian tensions to spread in both nations. Today, the group has penetrated the middle of the Middle East geography. The terrorist group makes use of both insurgent and terrorist strategies to seize and govern its territory.

ISIS uses the same tactics to secure allied North African and Middle Eastern terrorist groups allegiance. The sanctuary of ISIS allows it to recruit people and train them, and even launch attacks on external territories or nations, as in Europe. Its sanctuary also allows it to incite assailants around the globe. The terrorist group has recruited thousands of militants from the Middle East and surrounding regions to join its regional fight (United States, 2018). ISIS also uses propaganda campaigns to radicalize youth from the West.

Similarly, al-Qaida and its affiliate terrorist groups continue to be a threat worldwide. They maintain the capacity and intent to launch attacks in the West. This paper focuses on the nature of the terrorist threat that ISIS and other transnational terrorist groups pose, focusing on the spread of ISIS; it also discusses some strategies to degrade and defeat the militia groups (Unites States, 2018).

The Spread of ISIS

ISIS has its roots in Iraq; Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a veteran Sunni terrorist, started the group in 2004, pledging allegiance to Osama bin Laden. At that time, the Al Qaeda in Iraq (its initial name) targeted U.S. forces and civilians to pressure the United States of America and other nations to exit Iraq (Unknown & 3M Company, 2011). The group gained a reputation for its tyranny and brutality. It continued to target and repress Iraqi Sunni civilians in 2007, causing a widespread counterattack against the group. The backlash was known as the Sunni Awakening. During this time, there was coincidentally an increase in counterterrorism operations that prevented ISIS from carrying out its planned attack. The operations also led to a decline in terrorist attacks by the group. The U.S. and its coalition forces, including Iraq, were behind the counterterrorism operations against ISIS and affiliated groups (Unites States, 2018).

The terrorist group started to reconstitute itself in 2011 amid the Syrian civil war and the growing Sunni discontent. ISIS launched about 5 to 10 suicidal attacks in Iraq every month in 2012. The number of attacks grew to 30-40 suicidal attacks every month in 2013. The terrorist group took advantage of the Syrian chaos and conflicts that strengthened its Iraqi presence to spread across the border. The al-Nusrah Front was started to cover ISIS operations in Syria (the United States, 2018). However, ISIS later declared its presence in Syria to the public in April 2013. Immediately, the leaders of al-Nusrah rejected the announcement and pledged allegiance to al-Qaida instead. Later in February 2014, al-Qaida announced that ISIS ceased to be an allied group.

During the same period, ISIS worked even harder to remove the control of the Syrian and Iraqi governments from important parts of their territories. In January 2014, ISIS had seized Syria, Raqqa, Iraq,...

…the leaders of ISIS. The special operations forces of the U.S. have deployed intelligence gathering, set up local forces, and targeted ISIS leaders and operatives of high value in support of the fight against ISIS in Syria as part of its military effort against the transnational terrorist group. The U.S. also has counterterrorism measures in place, including disrupting the financial networks of ISIS and ceasing the movement of foreign fighters to Syria. It is also strengthening its efforts to stop ISIS from radicalizing and mobilizing recruits from across the globe to counteract ISIS propaganda (Mendelsohn, 2016). The U.S. is also leading international diplomatic efforts to address the underlying civil war and conflicts in the region. It involves a negotiated political transition that eliminates Bashar al-Asad from power to create a responsive and inclusive government with Syrians needs at heart. Supporting the government of Iraq towards inclusive and effective governance, reconciliation, and stabilization of efforts is also part of the diplomatic strategy (United States, 2018).

Conclusion

Terrorist attacks in the U.S. and Europe are wake-up calls for continued focus on SIS and transnational terrorism threats. The ability of ISIS and allied groups to adapt and evade existing security defenses in the U.S. and other regions of the world to launch attacks and carry out violent acts cannot be overlooked. No single terrorist group is invisible. With unity, strength, and adherence to the founding values of the U.S. and the fact that the leadership of America is key to this fight, ISIS and transnational terrorism can be overcome, stopped, and defeated. The 9/11 lessons of endurance also show that the terrorist groups can be defeated. And, based on the milestone achieved so far, it was not possible to address the threat that ISIS poses without deploying serious…