ISIS represents more than just a contemporary terrorist organization; it embodies a highly successful movement with a destructive and apocalyptic ideology. When they issue ultimatums to “convert, join us, or die,” they are completely serious and execute their threats with devastating consequences.
However, the threat of ISIS extends beyond simple declarations. Here are 11 key reasons that highlight their significant threat level to Iraq, the region, the world, and especially the U.S.:
- ISIS has mastered the art of media better than al-Qaeda, particularly in leveraging social media to spread terror. Their English-language content on Twitter and YouTube specifically targets Western audiences.
- The group’s control over territories enables a steady flow of funds, supplemented by an extensive system of extortion, electricity sales, and the export of oil and gas.
- ISIS’s prominence has attracted allegiance from various al-Qaeda-affiliated groups across the globe, expanding its network of terrorism.
- Controlling a territory as large as Maryland in the Arab heartland gives ISIS a significant base of operations, unlike the more nomadic existence of al-Qaeda’s core along the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.
- ISIS functions as a quasi-state, with its own military, administrative, judicial, and propaganda operations, marking a stark contrast to al-Qaeda’s fugitive leadership.
- It is the most heavily armed Islamist extremist group in history, having seized vast amounts of military hardware in Iraq and Syria.
- ISIS’s recruitment efforts surpass those of Al-Qaeda, with a significant portion of foreign militants in Syria joining ISIS, which also has a notable success in attracting Westerners.
- The leader of ISIS, Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi, boasts a charismatic presence and claims lineage from the Prophet Mohammed, enhancing his appeal among young militants over Al-Qaeda’s Ayman al-Zawahiri.
- ISIS’s geographical position allows easier access for recruits from various regions compared to the challenges of reaching Pakistan or Afghanistan.
- The group has proclaimed the establishment of a Caliphate, with al-Baghdadi declaring himself as Caliph Ibrahim.
- ISIS is the wealthiest terrorist organization in history, having looted significant assets, including over $400 million from Mosul’s central bank and generating substantial income from controlled oil fields and ransom payments.
In summary, ISIS is not merely a terrorist group but an unprecedentedly large, wealthy, and established militant state, surpassing al-Qaeda in resources, territory, recruitment, and brutality. This necessitates a decisive and forceful response to mitigate their threat.
