The Islamic State Of Iraq And Syria - 1702 Words

Introduction In what has quickly evolved into a post-Al Qaeda era in the Middle East, a new threat has emerged from the ashes of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and later in the 2011 war in Syria. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) has rapidly become the most pressing foreign policy concern in the Middle East for the United States. In the last four years, Daesh has gathered swaths of territory in both Iraq and Syria, although it has been driven back thanks to coalition efforts to counter the group. The coalition in place to combat ISIS has allowed the US to take a supporting role through the use of airstrikes, military advising and intelligence sharing to the local forces on the ground. However, major shortcomings†¦show more content†¦With divisions becoming prevalent regarding the modus operandi for AQI, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi broke off from the group to form the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). (Hashim 2014) While both the ISI and AQI had similar interests in co mbating foreign intervention and developing an Islamic caliphate in the region, the two groups sought two different means of achieving it. In Iraq in particular, Daesh was bolstered by a new interim Iraqi government that was particularly repressive towards the Sunni majority, which in turn drove disillusioned Sunnis towards the extremist group. Ultimately, ISI would expand into Syria in 2010 and splinter off from the Al-Qaeda affiliated group Al-Nusra, forming the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Since then it has expanded into parts of Jordan and Libya as well. Current Strategy In the latest edition of the National Security Strategy, President Obama outlined his primary objective in dealing with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. â€Å"We [The US partners] are leading a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL. At the same time, we will continue to pursue a lasting political solution to the devastating conflict in Syria.† (White House 2015) While these represent carefully crafted talking points, the complexity of the situation is evidently clear and the challenged of an accomplished goal is not lost. The United States