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Al-Qaeda, America, American Liberty, Barack Obama, Beheading, Civilisation, Counterjihad, Cultural Marxism, Defend the modern world, Desert, Europe, Failed State, Iraq, Iraqi Army, ISIL, ISIS, Jihad, Jihadism, Kurds, Obama, Salafism, Soldiers, Syria, Terrorism, Terrorist
The status of al-Qaeda as the leading edge of Islamist terrorism is at an end. Enter ISIS – the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (al-Sham loosely denoting the Levant). It is no exaggeration to say that this organisation, a military in all but recognition, is the gravest manifestation of Jihad in modern times.
For the past few months, ISIS has swept through deserts of Syria and Mesopotamia, beheading anyone who opposed them, and mutilating anyone who fell short of its understanding of Sharia law. The formerly Iraqi city of Mosul was for a period of days subjected to the meanest hell. It takes energy even to imagine it – the bleeding necks and purple heads, the screaming children and crackling gunfire.
Al-Qaeda wouldn’t have dared to dream this. No effort of Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad or a thousand other outfits has conquered this size of territory, acquired this much modern weaponry, or achieved this level of consistency in battlefield success. What we are witnessing is unprecedented.
In Slate magazine, Daniel Byman described the accomplishments of ISIS as follows:
“The territory already under its control is larger than (the State of) Israel, and it is not some barren desert: It includes oilfields, electrical grids, prisons, small manufacturing centers, and the weapon depots abandoned by the Iraqi military, including arms provided by the United States. When ISIS fighters conquered Mosul, they seized the central bank—and its reported $425 million. By comparison, al-Qaida’s budget before 9/11 was about $30 million—and we called it rich.”
Those who have ever wondered what society would be like under a Bin Laden-approved government need wonder no more. The pre-medieval has returned, but – like a steampunk horror movie – the barbarian hordes now posses M16s, Jeeps and video cameras on which to record their deeds.
To list all the macabre events individually would be a Marquis De Sade novel and end up just as long (and unreadable), so let’s isolate a few especially horrid cases:
Yesterday, a video emerged of ISIS fighters spraying gunfire at random civilians from a Humvee on their entrance into Iraqi villages. The organisation also boasted of killing 1,700 US trained Iraqi soldiers during the same invasion. Since then, it’s been reported that an ISIS member has posted a photo of a decapitated head on twitter along with the devilish caption “This is our football. #Worldcup2014”.
That should be enough to communicate the point. These truly are a new breed of monster, lacking in whatever qualities separate us from animals.
What is all this cruelty aiming at exactly? Well, the Independent Newspaper has helpfully translated a manifesto published locally by ISIS fighters.
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“People have tried secular rule – now it is time for an Islamic state.
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Women should wear loose-fitting clothes and leave home only when necessary.
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Shrines and graves should be destroyed.
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Only flag allowed to be carried is the ISIS one.
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Places have been opened for police and soldiers of the ‘unbelievers’ to repent.
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Drugs, cigarettes or alcohol (are) banned.
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Tribal leaders must not become traitors by working with the government.
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All Muslims (are) to pray at the mosque at the correct time.
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Money we have stolen from the government is for the public. Only the imam of mosques can spend it – thieves will have their hands cut off.
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We are the soldiers of Islam and we have taken on the responsibility of re-establishing the caliphate.”
This is fairly generic Islamism. A gun-sight trained on all that makes life worth living.
So what are we to do? Obama and Cameron have so far behaved like headless chickens. It is likely that there will be drone strikes at some point. Boots on the ground are unlikely. Iran is offering help, but this should be declined.
A fundamental impotence confronts the West, largely of our own making. We simply haven’t got the military bases or the number of personnel to engage ISIS directly. Only the US base in the Gulf is well positioned enough for Western intervention. Other possibilities are mostly wishful thinking. Israel – for example – could conduct (heroic) air raids, but this would probably result in protests from our effete ‘leaders’ and the harem of anti-logic that is the United Nations. Turkey meanwhile is not our friend, has never been our friend, and will never be our friend where it counts. Jordan isn’t strong enough to repel an army the size of ISIS, and finally, Britain’s army has been stripped to its bare bones and cannot conceivably act alone.
We are left in the position of a mere observer to world-history. That is what happens when military budgets are decimated.
In the unlikely event that Downing Street telephones me for advice, my policy would look something like this – We should be dropping thousands of explosives on any ISIS position cleanly separated from civilians. In Syria, a massive bombing campaign should commence against the ‘rebels’. Assad should not be armed further by NATO but the creaking equipment he has employed thus far will need spare parts, compatible ammunition (only Russia can supply this) and fuel. NATO should not obstruct the supply of these materials.
Although in reality none of us will ever be consulted for our views on this unsightly morass, we must nevertheless stay interested in its outcome.
The ISIS climacteric is fundamentally a pitched battle between the future and the past. Only a fool would say we have no dog in that fight.
D, LDN.
Barbaric hate they all believe in the same religious that allows then to behead their victims.
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Indeed, and why isn’t NATO bombing them already? Obama is a very indecisive President.
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The West is losing the control,crippled by weak leaders and and their denial of the reality.Thank you for your reply.
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Quote:
Women should wear loose-fitting clothes and leave home only when necessary.
Shrines and graves should be destroyed.
end
For these provisions alone, every member of this group should be disemboweled.
They are lobotomized cockroaches.
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I imagine that is only a draft version. Fanatics like that become further radicalised by power. We must stop this now.
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Hi
I’m a long time reader and admirer of your writings.
I usually agree with what you say in your blog, but not this time.
This is an ideological war, which the West best keep out off.
Please take some time to read this article by Hugh Fitzgerald of the New English Review.
(And, if time permits, try to read ALL his articles. I think that he is one of the most perceptive, well-read (and apparently well-travelled) and erudite writers on Islam.
I should know, because I am an ex-muslim myself and have lived and worked in the middle-east for some time)
http://www.newenglishreview.org/Hugh_Fitzgerald/What_Max_Boot_Cannot_Comprehend/
and this classic, scholarly but very accurate article on Iraq.
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/54504/cat_id/11
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I admire Mr Fitzgerald’s sentiment, but I must disagree for the simple reason that I don’t believe ISIS has only local objectives on its agenda.
There is also the factor of time.
In the short term, it’s certainly true that a Muslim civil war would weaken the Islamic world and provide us with breathing space, but only until a victor emerges. It might not take very long for that to happen, We all know that the Sunnis are stronger in manpower, wealth and resources than the Shia. The Sunnis have Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan – whereas the Shia world has only Iran, a slim majority in Lebanon and a few easily supressed smatterings in the Gulf. The civil war of which Mr Fitzgerald approves would not necessarily be a war of attrition. Indeed, if the West gave everyone a free hand, it could be a Sunni blitzkrieg. It’s surely better to crush ISIS forces, and allow a cold (not hot) war to assemble itself between the Saudis and Iran. This will force both regimes to seek favour with the West in order to gain an edge.
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I accept that the Sunnis are the majority in the Islamic world, but in the Middle East field of operations both sects are equally balanced. The majority Sunni populations of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Africa are effectively out of this field, apart from a few determined fighters. And the Shias are not as weak as it seems. Iran is a major power. Iraq is majority Shia. The main oil producing areas of Saudi Arabia is majority Shia.
And, even if the Shias are weaker, it would make sense for the outside powers who want to intervene to prop-up the Shias. The Shias is my experience (I’m an ex- Sunni myself) are less malevolent towards people of other faiths( their malevolence is reserved for the Sunnis). (You would have noticed that the disturbing muslim behavior that you noticed in the UK would have been by entirely Sunni muslims).
The Shias on their part should give up their insane rhetoric against & Israel and the Jews. (Iran is the only country in the Middle East that still has a substantial,
unpersecuted Jewish population, apart from Israel) And, it looks like these welcome changes are happening right before our eyes. The British reopened their mission in Iran today!
The real malevolent sect in Islam has always been the Sunnis. They were the ones who were involved in the Jihad conquests in the past and thirsting for more in the future. And the most malevolent of the Sunnis are the Saudi Wahabbis. Unless the West realizes this simple fact, defeating ISIS will not solve anything. The Saudis can easily create and fund another extremist Islamist organization, more violent or equally violent like the ISIS.
Another great article by our mutual friend Hugh http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/54553
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Complete the Phrase “Defend the World from America & Zionists(Israel)”
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America is the guarantor of liberal democracy, sexual equality and economic modernity. Israel meanwhile is the greatest ally the West has against violent Islamism.
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Islam is profane.
Mohammed is a false prophet.
Matthew 7. We judge you by your fruits.
We find you wanting.
Your faith is unholy.
Your deeds that supposedly honor God are evil.
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Well summarized. Obama was obviously asleep at the wheel here. His advisors’ hopes that the Kurdish army would contain ISIS in the north was miscalculated and based in ignorance. Leaving a swath of war “goodies” in their path in military and economic opportunity only compounded the problem.
Obama knew all along that Irbil was their main target. Once they capture Irbil they will control two-thirds of Iraq.
If the air strikes don’t hold ISIS back, there will be a horrible blood bath in Irbil. Sadly, it will be up to the Kurds and the Iraqi army to defend the city.
Not likely, now that Baghdad is being thrust into a political, civil war.
The future looks grim.
Good post!
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NATO is happy, especially Turkey having big sinister plans behind this.
Turkey’s government has a long going plan to re-establish the Ottoman empire, Europe still sleeping and none from the west staying against this. They want Ottomans to slaughter everyone and reach Vienna again.
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I was reading through some of your content on this site and I believe this internet site is rattling instructive! Continue putting up.
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It’s known who created, orchestrated and financed ISIS, same people who created Al Qaeda. What’s the purpose of this article ??
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