ISIS Situation Worsening Every Day

The terror group ISIS, which stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, has yet again struck discord and fear into the Western world with their latest in a series of beheadings. The first known beheadings committed by ISIS were recorded on July 25^th of this year, and since then their fervour and crimes have only increased. Since that incident more than 40 people have been beheaded including Syrian soldiers, Kurds, and American and British social workers. What’s most cruel and horrible about this is that ISIS has been releasing the videos of their actions for the world and families of the victims to see. Furthermore, up until this point they were always masked or veiled when they committed their heinous crimes, but in the latest incident the majority of them went unveiled. Firas Abi Ali, a London based senior analyst at the global intelligence group IHS, believes that this is a way for ISIS to “show a little more confidence, and say they’re not afraid.”

In the most recent beheading, Peter Kassig, an American social worker and former US Army ranger was the main target and was meant as another strong message to the western world about the ideology of ISIS and the extent to which they are willing to take their beliefs. More interestingly, a British-accented man known as “Jihadi John” who has been narrating all of their videos and seems to be the figurehead for ISIS’ mission has remained masked. In reference to Kassig’s death he states, “Here we are burying the first American Crusader,” and continues to say that ISIS is “Eagerly waiting for the remainder of the Western forces to arrive.”

ISIS’s main objective at this time is to spread their message and instill it in as many individuals as possible. As such, they have been forcing many people in Syria and Iraq to watch their atrocities, for instance making a group of 153 captured teenage Kurds look at videos of the beheadings. ISIS is struggling to claim the mantle of the global jihadist movement and consequently it must publicize its brutality to demonstrate its power and ruthlessness. The actions of ISIS and their refusal to even consider negotiating has prompted the Western world to review their policies on how to stop the current goings-on. Obama himself has stated that the US hostage policy must be analyzed and reviewed following heavy criticism from affected families that not enough was done to save their loved ones. This brutality has put pressure on the West to start taking action before the situation escalates into one that potentially cannot be stopped. The US has been flirting with the idea of expanding their air-strike warfare into Northern Syria, and maybe increasing their military presence in the area. Yet as their past dictates, it is not always best for America or the world when they get involved in open warfare. Another strategy that is being discussed is to strip ISIS of the support they are receiving from more than 20 million Sunni Arabs and other people around the world who are currently backing ISIS’s mission. By removing their support system and allies, their power can be greatly reduced and therefore the influence they can propagate through the media will also be damaged.

It may not be clear how best to fight ISIS, but one thing is clear: ISIS is an extremely dangerous group who is quickly gaining influence and power as a Jihadist movement organization through mass murder and great brutality. This makes it evident that measures must be taken to stop this and prevent any more innocent lives being taken by people who falsely fight in the name of Jihad and Islam.