isis militants in iraq and syria (2)

7/23/2019 ISIS Militants in Iraq and Syria (2)

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EMERGENCE OF ISLAMIC STATE:IMPLICATIONS FOR ENDIA AND

PAKISTAN

Masood Ur Rehman KhattakLecturer

Department of Politics and International Relations. FSS/IIUI.


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Strategic location of Iraq

and Syria

Iraq's Sunnis are increasingly disenchantedwith what they see as their systematicmarginalization by the Shia-dominated

government in Baghdad and targeting bysecurity forces.

The country is home to a range of minorityreligious groups who have recently foundthemselves caught up in the violence broughtabout by the rise of IS.


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Introduction..

Islamic State (IS) is a radical Islamist group thathas seized large swathes of territory in easternSyria and across northern and western Iraq.

Its brutal tactics - including mass killings andabductions of members of religious and ethnic

minorities, as well as the beheadings of soldiersand journalists - have sparked fear and outrageacross the world and prompted US militaryintervention.


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What are its origins?

IS can trace its roots back to the lateAbu Musabal-Zarqawi, a Jordanian who set up Tawhid waal-Jihad in 2002.

A year after the US-led invasion of Iraq, Zarqawi

pledged allegiance to Osama Bin Laden andformed al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), which became amajor force in the insurgency.


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Origin of ISIS

After Zarqawi's death in 2006, AQI created anumbrella organization, Islamic State in Iraq (ISI).

ISI was steadily weakened by the US troop surge andthe creation of Sahwa (Awakening) councils by SunniArab tribesmen who rejected its brutality.

After becoming leader in 2010, Baghdadi rebuilt ISI'scapabilities.


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Origin of ISIS

By 2013, it was once again carrying out

dozens of attacks a month in Iraq.

It had also joined the rebellion againstPresident Bashar al-Assad in Syria, setting upthe al-Nusra Front.


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Origin of ISIS

In April 2013, Baghdadi announced themerger of his forces in Iraq and Syria and thecreation of the Islamic State in Iraq and theLevant (ISIS).

The leaders of al-Nusra and al-Qaedarejected the move, but fighters loyal toBaghdadi split from al-Nusra and helped Isisremain in Syria.


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Origin of ISIS

At the end of December 2013, ISIS shifted itsfocus back to Iraq and exploited a politicalstand-off between the Shia-led governmentand the minority Sunni Arab community.

Aided by tribesmen, the group took control

of the central city of Falluja.


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ISIS in 2014

In June 2014, Isis overran the northern city ofMosul, and then advanced southwards towards

Baghdad.

At the end of the month, after consolidating itshold over dozens of cities and towns,

ISIS declared the creation of a caliphate andchanged its name to Islamic State.


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Islamic State control areas?

Some estimate that IS and its allies control about40,000 sq km (15,000 sq miles) of Iraq and Syria.

Some estimates, they control closer to 90,000 sqkm (35,000 sq miles) - about the size of Jordan.

That territory includes cities - Mosul, Tikrit,Falluja and Tal Afar in Iraq; Raqqa in Syria - oilfields, dams, main roads and border crossings.


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Islamic State control areas?

Eight million people are believed to be livingunder partial or full IS control.

Where the group implements a strictinterpretation of Sharia, forcing women towear veils, slavery etc.

Non-muslims to pay a special tax or convert,and imposing punishments that includefloggings and executions.


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Strength of ISIS

US officials believe IS could have as many as31,000 fighters inIraq and Syria.

Iraq expert Hisham al-Hashimi says about30% are "ideologues",with the remainder joining out of fear or coercion.

A significant number of IS fighters are neither Iraqi nor Syrian.

The Soufan Group recently estimated that more than 12,000foreign nationals from at least 81 countries, including 2,500from Western states, had travelled to Syria to fight over the pastthree years.


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Weapons in USE

IS fighters have access to, and are capable ofusing, a wide variety of small arms and heavyweapons,

Truck-mounted machine-guns, rocketlaunchers,

Anti-aircraft guns and portable surface-to-airmissile systems.


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WEAPONS IN USE..

An advanced surface-to-air missile have been supplied toSyrian rebels by Qatar against has been filmed in the handsof ISIS jihadists.

A militant was shown firing a Chinese-made FN6 shoulder-mounted missile, with a later image suggesting it hadbrought down an Iraqi army helicopter.

The attack was said to have happened during the battle forBaiji, a town that houses Iraqs biggest oil refinery.


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Weapons in USE

They have also captured tanks and armoured

vehicles from the Syrian and Iraqi armies.

Their haul of vehicles from the Iraqi armyincludes Humvees and bomb-proof trucksthat were originally manufactured for the USmilitary.


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SAMs

RUSSIAN MANPADS


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RUSSIAN MANPADS- ( Man Portable Air DefenseSystems.)

i i


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Short Range Missiles

Tanks with IS


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Tanks with IS


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US HUMVEEs


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Sources of Funding

Islamic State is reported to have $2bn in cash andassets, making it the world's wealthiest militantgroup.

Today, IS is a largely self-financed organization,earning millions of dollars a month from the oil andgas fieldsit controls, as well as fromtaxation, tolls,smuggling, extortion and kidnapping.

The offensive in Iraq has also been lucrative, giving itaccess to cash held in major banks in cities andtowns it has seized.


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Air strikes against ISIS-L

The US and five Arab allies launched the first airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syriaon 23 September.

The US with Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabiaand the United Arab Emirates launched strikes.

Hitting a number of targets, including Raqqa, astronghold in eastern Syria captured by thegroup in 2013.


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How IS operates.

Islamic State fighters - among them manyforeign jihadists - have a reputation for brutality.

Atrocities allegedly committed by those in thegroup's ranks include kidnappings, beheadings,torture and summary executions.

International investigators gathering evidenceagainst Islamic State fighters have built up adetailed picture of how IS operates, with self-appointed leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi at thehelm.


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How IS operates

Directly beneath him are four advisorycouncils: Sharia (Islamic law); Shura(consultation);militaryand security.

The latter two are the most powerful.

This one-plus-four structure is thenduplicated down the chain of command tolocal level.


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Refugees

Aboutthree million people have fled abroad toescape the fighting in Syria.

Most have gone to Lebanon and Turkey - but asignificant number have also gone to Iraq.

Syrian refugees have put pressure on localservices and infrastructure in Iraq - which is alsohaving to cope with the return of many Iraqirefugees from Syria.


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IS and INDIA-PAKISTAN


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ISIS in Pakistan

Former Guantanamo detainee, AbdulRaheem Muslim Dost, was made the chief ofits Khorasan

(The old name for Afghan, Pakistani, Irani and

Central Asian territories).


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Six TTP Commanders announce


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allegiance

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) maybecome stronger in Pakistan after six topcommanders of the Pakistani Taliban announced

their allegiance to it.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid, formallyannounced joining the ISIS along with five seniorcommanders.

Si TTP C d


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allegiance

Hafiz Saeed Khan is the Taliban leader for Orakzai Agencyand

Hafiz Daulat Khan is the leader for the Kurram Agency.

Maulana Gul Zaman is the TTP head for Khyber Agency,

Mufti Hassaan is operating in Peshawar and

Khalid Mansoor in Hangu.

Mufti Hassaan belongs to Swat.


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IS threat to Pakistan

ISIS has created a 10-man "strategic planning wing" with amaster plan on how to wage war against the Pakistanimilitary, and is trying to join forces with local militants,according to a government memo.

"They are now planning to inflict casualties to PakistanArmy outfits who are taking part in operation Zarb-e-Azb,

referring to the military offensive against the PakistaniTaliban and other militants that was launched in June in atribal region near the Afghan border.


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ISIS FIVE PLANS


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isis militants in iraq and syria (2)

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