ISIS & THE CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST ©2014ThomasTeachingTools

Introductory Video about-isis-you-need-to-know/this- video-explains-the-crisis-in-3-minutes

What is ISIS? Militant Islamic group Leader = Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Previously held by the US at a detention center in Kuwait but released. Known by several different English translations of the Arabic name: ISIS = Islamic State in Iraq & Syria ISIL = Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Now call themselves the Islamic State (IS) Mugshot while in US custody

Levant Eastern Mediterranean region that includes the regions of Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebano n, Palestine, Syria, and part of southern Turkey.

Goal = Create a theocratic (Sunni) Islamic state across areas of Iraq & Syria Theocracy = government in which a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, & the deity's laws are interpreted by divinely inspired leaders Sunni = largest branch of Islam Controls app. 35,000 square miles of territory. Rules territory by Sharia law - Islamic laws that influence all levels of government, legal code, social issues, etc. IRAQ SYRIA

June 2014 – ISIS declared itself a caliphate (Islamic state) Desires to erase all current state borders al-Baghdadi = self- proclaimed authority (caliph) over the world's 1.5 billion Muslims.

How did ISIS begin? After Suddam Hussein’s government was dissolved in Iraq, many former Iraqi soldiers became AQI (al-Qaeda in Iraq) fighters. AQI, led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, used the Syrian Civil War that began in 2011 to increase AQI’s influence – After disagreements with al- Qaeda leadership, al-Baghdadi split with al-Qaeda and renamed his group ISIS to reflect their desire to extend their territory beyond Iraq.

HOW DID ISIS BECOME SO POWERFUL SO QUICKLY? 1. ISIS operates in territories with a majority Sunni Muslim population, which means that the people there are often more likely to support ISIS than the Shia government. The current Iraqi government & military leaders are mostly Shia Muslims. Shia = second largest branch of Islam

The post-Hussein Iraqi government, led by Nouri al-Maliki until August 2014, abused its powers toward the Sunni population Strengthened ISIS and galvanized their recruitment. Also, the Iraqi military, while larger and more powerful than ISIS, is poorly organized. Many Sunni soldiers are not willing to fight, let alone die, against fellow Sunnis in the name of a government who oppresses them. Ex: The Iraqi military were routed by ISIS at Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, despite outnumbering them 40:1.

Percentag es of Sunni & Shia Muslims in Middle East COUNTRYSUNNI S SHIA Afghanistan84%15% Bahrain30%70% Egypt90%1% Iran10%89% Iraq32-37%60-65% Kuwait60%25% Lebanon23%38% Jordan92%2% Saudi Arabia90%10% Syria74%16% Turkey83-93%7-17% United Arab Emirates 81%15% Yemen70%30%

2. Syrian Civil War Gave ISIS access to weaponry & combat experience. ISIS territory includes many of Syria’s oilfields, which helps to fund their operations.

3. ISIS has progressed its territory and agenda through incredible brutality. A. Mass killings & public executions August & September 2014 – Beheaded 3 Westerners, earning international attention James Foley & Steven Sotloff (US) and David Haines (UK) Warning to Western nations (specifically the US & Britain) to stay out of Middle Eastern/Islamic affairs.

B. Persecution against minority groups to purify region of non- Islamic influences. Christians, Yezidis, & other minority groups have fled areas of Iraq due to ISIS violence. Yezidis = Kurdish religious group After ISIS slaughtered large numbers of Yezidis, thousands tried to flee to Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of N. Iraq.

Route to Kurdistan was blocked by ISIS, so they fled over the Sinjar Mountains with little food or water, creating a humanitarian crisis. Many Yezidis & Christians are now living in refugee camps in Kurdistan, having abandoned their homes under the ISIS warning to convert to Islam or die.

Kurdistan IRAN SYRIA IRAQ TURKEY JORDAN SAUDI ARABIA KUWAIT Mt. Sinjar & Yazidi Communities Raqqa Baghdad Damascas

Erbil – Capital of Kurdistan tell = a hill created by many generations of people living and rebuilding on the same spot

C. Persecution against other Shia & Sunni Muslims who do not support the fanatical views and violent acts of ISIS. Even al-Qaeda leadership criticized al-Baghdadi and ISIS for being too extreme & too brutal. Al-Baghdadi also ignored orders from al-Qaeda leadership regarding their involvement in Syria. Many Sunni groups have fought against ISIS in both Syria & Iraq.

ISIS & Historical Sites ISIS has destroyed historical & religious sites all over Syria & Iraq in an effort to rid the region of all non-Muslim influence. Specifically, anything that contradicts ISIS’ interpretation of Islam. Countless Christian churches & Shia mosques have been destroyed. According to ISIS beliefs, all religious shrines (Islamic, Christian, Jewish, etc.) are idolatrous & must be destroyed.

Even some Sunni holy sites are not exempt. July 24, 2014 – Blew up a Sunni Mosque in Mosul that, according to some traditions, held the tomb of Jonah, the Prophet. Despite being a prophet according to Muslim tradition as well, the tomb was deemed too Jewish/Christian to continue standing.

The remains of the ancient Assyrian capital of Nineveh, a major archaeological site, are located near Mosul. Given that this region of the Middle East is considered to be the cradle of civilization, the potential for ISIS to destroy major historical sites is tremendous. Some reports say that al-Baghdadi has looted artifacts from museums & shrines in both Iraq & Syria to sell on the black market to fund ISIS operations.

Mesopotamia = land surrounding the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers

ISIS Fighters September 2014 – CIA reported that ISIS has an estimated 30,000 fighters. Approximately 2,000 Western members Makes it difficult to track ISIS terrorists traveling with legitimate Western passports to places like the US & Britain. Approximately 100 Americans The man who beheaded the 3 Westerners on video is believed to be British.

Why is the US involved? 1. The current Iraqi government came to power with US backing after the Iraq War. Does the US have a responsibility to the people of Iraq? Syria? Is the US involved only because it wants access to Iraq’s oil fields? Iraq = 5 th largest oil deposits in the world (app. 4% of the global supply)

2. Massacre of religious minorities, executions, & other cases of ISIS brutality Due to the intense news coverage, a large percentage of the American public have called for US action.

3. Self-defense ISIS has made threats against the US and Americans, both in the region and stateside. President Obama has stated numerous times that the US would not stand idly by when the security of our citizens and/or homeland is threatened. Would the United States appear weak if we did not make a show of force in response to the execution of 2 Americans?

US Military Operations Jun 30, 2014 – US sends small number of troops to help secure US embassy and airport in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital. Beginning August 8 – President Obama announced the use of targeted airstrikes on ISIS positions. Led to the 1 st major defeat of ISIS in Iraq: Kurdish peshmerga (militias) & Iraqi military forces, aided by US airstrikes, retook the Mosul Dam on August 18. James Foley’s execution was in retaliation for these American airstrikes.

September 10 – US announced its comprehensive military strategy against ISIS: 1. Targeted US airstrikes 2. Provision of weapons & training to allies on the ground: A. Kurdish peshmerga B. Iraqi Military C. Moderate Syrian Rebels No US troops on the ground in combat roles

September 23 – The US, along with 5 Arab nations, launched airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria. 5 Arab Nations – Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, & Bahrain Targeted Raqqa – ISIS stronghold in Northern Syria Headquarters of operations in Syria Houses training centers for fighters & weapons depots. ISIS targets in other parts of Iraq & Syria were hit as well.