LeGenD
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BACKGROUND AND ORIGINS OF THE ISIL
"At its peak, IS ruled over 88,000 sq km (34,000 sq miles) stretching across the Iraq-Syria border." - BBC*
Syria and Iraq contemplated merger to create the United Arab Republic in the 1960s.
www.nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com
Iraqi President Hassan al-Bakr and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad had finalized the merger process in 1978 but Saddam Hussein forced al-Bakr to step down and secure his grip on Iraq. Saddam also suspended the merger process:
www.nytimes.com
However, a Syrian journalist and author Hassan Hassan provides a detailed account of the origins of ISIL and how Saddam helped cultivate an ideology that facilitated ISIL movement:
Related information in following link:
www.jstor.org
Bush administration found an opportunity to get rid of Saddam regime after 9/11. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) got wind of the Iraqi Ba'ath Party getting in touch with Al-Qaeda operatives and Iraq having hidden caches of chemical weapons. However, American coverage of these interesting realities is botched due to political polarization between the Democrats and the Republicans. Nevertheless, Bush administration launched Operation Iraqi Freedom to topple Saddam regime in 2003:
youtu.be
youtu.be
ISIL movement began to take shape in response to the ill-advised De-Ba'athification move of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) that was established with American support in 2003:
youtu.be
De-Ba'athification move of the CPA entailed disbanding Ba'ath Party as well as Iraqi armed forces and bureaucracy created under Saddam. This move set the stage for an extremely violent Iraqi insurgency in which Al-Qaeda Network in Iraq (AQI) was also involved. AQI was founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in 2004. This man had links to Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda Network in Af-Pak region. This relationship was acknowledged in a Pakistani report:
US-led forces fought and overcame Iraqi insurgency during the (2004 - 2008) period in a series of well-executed operations, and Obama administration called for withdrawal of NATO from Iraq in 2011 when situation on the ground looked much better.
As for Saddam, his sons were killed in 2003 and he was hanged in 2006. His last words are cryptic but telling.
"Don't think this is over. This is just the beginning."
But sectarianism of then Iraqi Prime Minister (PM) Nouri al-Maliki provided sufficient impetus to AQI remnants and Saddam loyalists to REGROUP and establish ISIL with support of allies in Syria.
foreignpolicy.com
As you can see:
www.spiegel.de
theintercept.com
www.reuters.com
+
"Yes, I think extremism was there. It is in the region, not in Iraq. Don’t forget that extremism came from other countries. And these would-be suicide bombers came from all over the Arab world, and from almost over 100 countries, even some Western countries. And they were large numbers, and they managed to bring themselves in Syria, they did occupy quite large swaths of territory in Syria, and then they were able to cross into Iraq.
Now, the fault lines are this: Under these circumstances, you should win your population over. You shouldn’t push your population towards the other side. What happened because of political enmity, and political differences in the country, it was one against the other. So with the government, and the government has set an opposition, whether they are Shia or Sunni or Kurds. And these others, they were gathering against the government. By doing this, they were attracting people from all sorts of life, including terrorists, including those who resort to violence. And in that critical moment, the whole thing snapped. Terrorists, because they were able in Syria, they were being readied to cross the border to Iraq. And the atmosphere in Iraq was created that they will welcome these fighters in the country. And that was a major mistake by the government. And they could have done much better by winning over their own people, the Iraqi people, so that terrorists will not thrive into our own communities.
And that’s what happened. The whole state collapse, security forces collapse, whole divisions of the army collapse, and the terrorists took over. And of course, some people in these areas welcomed these terrorists under the assumption that these terrorists will save them from — I put it in brackets — the oppressive means of the Baghdad government, although it wasn’t oppressive as such. But people were not happy. So they thought this Daesh, and these tours will help them to take out what they think is their own." - Iraqi PM Dr. Haider al-Abadi
theintercept.com
The “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) is the main source of instability, not only in Iraq and Syria, but also throughout the Middle East. The instability poses a danger for the other parts of the world because of the influx of foreign fighters to the region. Extremists have taken advantage of the continuing conflicts in Iraq and Syria, with Syria in particular serving as a magnet for thousands of foreign fighters from more than 90 countries. While most of these ISIS combatants are men, many women have left their countries behind to join the “caliphate” and support its cause. Social media have played a key role in luring women to join ISIS. This study therefore analyzed the ISIS organization’s social media propaganda and grass-roots recruitment activities aimed at women in Turkey. The results of the analysis provide important information about the strategies that ISIS uses to spread its ideology.
www.cambridge.org
ISIL movement was able to draw recruits from multiple countries through its social media campaigns in line with Islamic eschatology of the Black Banners: Mehdi will come and create an army of the Black Banners to defeat regional enemies and Dajjal. Many take this eschatology seriously.
www.youtube.com
understandingwar.org
---
OFFICIAL LINKS
---
STRATEGY AND TACTICS
Obama administration launched Operation Inherent Resolve to destroy ISIL with support of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria and Iraqi government under PM Dr. Haider al-Abadi in 2014.
Mapping the kinetic aspect of the Operation Inherent Resolve to defeat ISIL in the Middle East during the (2014 - 2018) period:
---
ACHIEVEMENTS / MILESTONES
1. Fall of ISIL stronghold in Iraq (i.e. Fallujah) to US-backed forces in 2016 (also identified as Operation Breaking Terrorism)
Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Battle_of_Fallujah
english.alarabiya.net
www.aljazeera.com
---
2. Fall of ISIL stronghold in Iraq (i.e. Mosul) to US-backed forces in 2017
Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mosul_(2016–2017)
www.thedrive.com
A Tale of Two Mosuls, The resurrection of the Iraqi armed forces and the military defeat of ISIS
---
3. Fall of ISIL stronghold in Syria (i.e. Raqqa) to US-backed forces in 2017
Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Raqqa_(2017)
www.thedrive.com
www.thedrive.com
www.facebook.com
raqqa.amnesty.org
---
4. American troops eliminate ISIL chief Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in a military operation in Syria (i.e. Idlib) in 2019 (also identified as Operation Kayla Mueller)
Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Abu_Bakr_al-Baghdadi
www.aljazeera.com
www.aa.com.tr
www.al-monitor.com
www.thedrive.com
www.thedrive.com
------
PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTS
www.rand.org
www.rand.org
www.rand.org
www.rand.org
rusi.org
REFERENCES
*
www.bbc.com
www.wilsoncenter.org
"At its peak, IS ruled over 88,000 sq km (34,000 sq miles) stretching across the Iraq-Syria border." - BBC*
Syria and Iraq contemplated merger to create the United Arab Republic in the 1960s.
SYRIANS IN CAIRO FOR UNITY TALKS; IRAQI GROUP DUE; Revolutionary Council in Damascus Says 3-Nation Merger Is the Goal PRESS STRESSES THEME But Syria Turns Back 12 High-Ranking Exiles Who Seek Repatriation Ground for Rejection Party Taken to Cairo Syr
12 exiles return to Egypt after being refused entry, Damascus
3 ARAB CAPITALS PLAN FOR MERGER; Presidential Power Is Key to Nasser Negotiations A Question of Power (Published 1963)
Iraqis and Syrians conf, Damascus; 3 nations each working on draft plans for union
Iraqi President Hassan al-Bakr and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad had finalized the merger process in 1978 but Saddam Hussein forced al-Bakr to step down and secure his grip on Iraq. Saddam also suspended the merger process:
Syria and Iraq Delay Merger (Published 1979)
Syria and Iraq end high-level meeting; say more time is needed to arrange merger (S)
However, a Syrian journalist and author Hassan Hassan provides a detailed account of the origins of ISIL and how Saddam helped cultivate an ideology that facilitated ISIL movement:
Related information in following link:
Saddam and the Islamists: The Ba'thist Regime's Instrumentalization of Religion in Foreign Affairs on JSTOR
Samuel Helfont, Saddam and the Islamists: The Ba'thist Regime's Instrumentalization of Religion in Foreign Affairs, Middle East Journal, Vol. 68, No. 3 (Summer 2014), pp. 352-366
www.jstor.org
Bush administration found an opportunity to get rid of Saddam regime after 9/11. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) got wind of the Iraqi Ba'ath Party getting in touch with Al-Qaeda operatives and Iraq having hidden caches of chemical weapons. However, American coverage of these interesting realities is botched due to political polarization between the Democrats and the Republicans. Nevertheless, Bush administration launched Operation Iraqi Freedom to topple Saddam regime in 2003:
- YouTube
ÐивÑÑÑÑÑ Ð²Ñдео, ÑлÑÑайÑе ÑлÑÐ±Ð»ÐµÐ½Ñ Ð¼ÑзикÑ, заванÑажÑйÑе оÑигÑналÑний конÑÐµÐ½Ñ Ñ Ð´ÑлÑÑÑÑÑ Ð²ÑÑм Ñим Ñз дÑÑзÑми, ÑÑм'ÑÑ Ð¹ ÑÑлим ÑвÑÑом на YouTube.
youtu.be
- YouTube
ÐивÑÑÑÑÑ Ð²Ñдео, ÑлÑÑайÑе ÑлÑÐ±Ð»ÐµÐ½Ñ Ð¼ÑзикÑ, заванÑажÑйÑе оÑигÑналÑний конÑÐµÐ½Ñ Ñ Ð´ÑлÑÑÑÑÑ Ð²ÑÑм Ñим Ñз дÑÑзÑми, ÑÑм'ÑÑ Ð¹ ÑÑлим ÑвÑÑом на YouTube.
youtu.be
ISIL movement began to take shape in response to the ill-advised De-Ba'athification move of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) that was established with American support in 2003:
- YouTube
ÐивÑÑÑÑÑ Ð²Ñдео, ÑлÑÑайÑе ÑлÑÐ±Ð»ÐµÐ½Ñ Ð¼ÑзикÑ, заванÑажÑйÑе оÑигÑналÑний конÑÐµÐ½Ñ Ñ Ð´ÑлÑÑÑÑÑ Ð²ÑÑм Ñим Ñз дÑÑзÑми, ÑÑм'ÑÑ Ð¹ ÑÑлим ÑвÑÑом на YouTube.
youtu.be
De-Ba'athification move of the CPA entailed disbanding Ba'ath Party as well as Iraqi armed forces and bureaucracy created under Saddam. This move set the stage for an extremely violent Iraqi insurgency in which Al-Qaeda Network in Iraq (AQI) was also involved. AQI was founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in 2004. This man had links to Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda Network in Af-Pak region. This relationship was acknowledged in a Pakistani report:
Zarqawi — the link between Pakistani and Iraqi militants
If there ever was a strong bond between Pakistani militants and the Jihadists in Iraq, it was Abu Musab al Zarqawi.
www.dawn.com
US-led forces fought and overcame Iraqi insurgency during the (2004 - 2008) period in a series of well-executed operations, and Obama administration called for withdrawal of NATO from Iraq in 2011 when situation on the ground looked much better.
As for Saddam, his sons were killed in 2003 and he was hanged in 2006. His last words are cryptic but telling.
"Don't think this is over. This is just the beginning."
But sectarianism of then Iraqi Prime Minister (PM) Nouri al-Maliki provided sufficient impetus to AQI remnants and Saddam loyalists to REGROUP and establish ISIL with support of allies in Syria.
How Maliki Ruined Iraq
Not long ago, stability and security in Iraq seemed possible. Maliki's corruption shattered any hope of that.
foreignpolicy.com
As you can see:
Islamic State Files Show Structure of Islamist Terror Group
An Iraqi officer planned Islamic State's takeover in Syria and SPIEGEL has been given exclusive access to his papers. They portray an organization that, while seemingly driven by religious fanaticism, is actually coldly calculating.
How Saddam's Former Soldiers Are Fueling the Rise of ISIS | FRONTLINE
As the radical jihadist group marches through Iraq, it is quietly utilizing a network of former members of Sadaam Hussein's army to help militarize its fighting force.
www.pbs.org
ISIS Forces That Now Control Ramadi Are Ex-Baathist Saddam Loyalists
Few in Washington appear to grasp that the fighters who led the takeover of Ramadi are an amalgam of virtually every Sunni tribal and jihadist insurgent group the United States has fought since April 2003.
theintercept.com
How Saddam's fighters help Islamic State rule
From military victories to surveillance, former Baathists are a powerful factor in the rise and control of Islamic state.
+
"Yes, I think extremism was there. It is in the region, not in Iraq. Don’t forget that extremism came from other countries. And these would-be suicide bombers came from all over the Arab world, and from almost over 100 countries, even some Western countries. And they were large numbers, and they managed to bring themselves in Syria, they did occupy quite large swaths of territory in Syria, and then they were able to cross into Iraq.
Now, the fault lines are this: Under these circumstances, you should win your population over. You shouldn’t push your population towards the other side. What happened because of political enmity, and political differences in the country, it was one against the other. So with the government, and the government has set an opposition, whether they are Shia or Sunni or Kurds. And these others, they were gathering against the government. By doing this, they were attracting people from all sorts of life, including terrorists, including those who resort to violence. And in that critical moment, the whole thing snapped. Terrorists, because they were able in Syria, they were being readied to cross the border to Iraq. And the atmosphere in Iraq was created that they will welcome these fighters in the country. And that was a major mistake by the government. And they could have done much better by winning over their own people, the Iraqi people, so that terrorists will not thrive into our own communities.
And that’s what happened. The whole state collapse, security forces collapse, whole divisions of the army collapse, and the terrorists took over. And of course, some people in these areas welcomed these terrorists under the assumption that these terrorists will save them from — I put it in brackets — the oppressive means of the Baghdad government, although it wasn’t oppressive as such. But people were not happy. So they thought this Daesh, and these tours will help them to take out what they think is their own." - Iraqi PM Dr. Haider al-Abadi
Intercepted: The U.S. Legacy in Iraq and the Fight Against ISIS
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi joins Intercepted to discuss the U.S. government’s legacy after years of occupation.
theintercept.com
The “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) is the main source of instability, not only in Iraq and Syria, but also throughout the Middle East. The instability poses a danger for the other parts of the world because of the influx of foreign fighters to the region. Extremists have taken advantage of the continuing conflicts in Iraq and Syria, with Syria in particular serving as a magnet for thousands of foreign fighters from more than 90 countries. While most of these ISIS combatants are men, many women have left their countries behind to join the “caliphate” and support its cause. Social media have played a key role in luring women to join ISIS. This study therefore analyzed the ISIS organization’s social media propaganda and grass-roots recruitment activities aimed at women in Turkey. The results of the analysis provide important information about the strategies that ISIS uses to spread its ideology.
An Analysis of ISIS Propaganda and Recruitment Activities Targeting the Turkish-Speaking Population | International Annals of Criminology | Cambridge Core
An Analysis of ISIS Propaganda and Recruitment Activities Targeting the Turkish-Speaking Population - Volume 56 Issue 1-2
ISIL movement was able to draw recruits from multiple countries through its social media campaigns in line with Islamic eschatology of the Black Banners: Mehdi will come and create an army of the Black Banners to defeat regional enemies and Dajjal. Many take this eschatology seriously.
- YouTube
ÐивÑÑÑÑÑ Ð²Ñдео, ÑлÑÑайÑе ÑлÑÐ±Ð»ÐµÐ½Ñ Ð¼ÑзикÑ, заванÑажÑйÑе оÑигÑналÑний конÑÐµÐ½Ñ Ñ Ð´ÑлÑÑÑÑÑ Ð²ÑÑм Ñим Ñз дÑÑзÑми, ÑÑм'ÑÑ Ð¹ ÑÑлим ÑвÑÑом на YouTube.
www.youtube.com
Institute for the Study of War
The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham’s (ISIS) assault on the city of Mosul on June 10, 2014 demonstrated its formidable military strength. ISIS’s activities across Iraq and Syria also reveal that the organization is engaged in governance programs, ran
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OFFICIAL LINKS
CJTF-OIR HOME
www.inherentresolve.mil
OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE
www.centcom.mil
---
STRATEGY AND TACTICS
Obama administration launched Operation Inherent Resolve to destroy ISIL with support of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria and Iraqi government under PM Dr. Haider al-Abadi in 2014.
Mapping the kinetic aspect of the Operation Inherent Resolve to defeat ISIL in the Middle East during the (2014 - 2018) period:
---
ACHIEVEMENTS / MILESTONES
1. Fall of ISIL stronghold in Iraq (i.e. Fallujah) to US-backed forces in 2016 (also identified as Operation Breaking Terrorism)
Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Battle_of_Fallujah
Watch how US and Iraqi airstrikes targeted this ISIS convoy
Helicopters and warplanes fired at vehicles on road about 12 miles south of Fallujah on Wednesday.
Iraq ‘retakes’ main government building in Fallujah
Commanders say forces met limited resistance from ISIL during push into centre of city which government lost in 2014.
---
2. Fall of ISIL stronghold in Iraq (i.e. Mosul) to US-backed forces in 2017
Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mosul_(2016–2017)
US Special Operations MRZR Buggies Spotted Full Of Javelin Missiles Near Mosul
SOCOM's tricked-out Polaris ATVs are getting their fight on against ISIS.
www.thedrive.com
A Tale of Two Mosuls, The resurrection of the Iraqi armed forces and the military defeat of ISIS
---
3. Fall of ISIL stronghold in Syria (i.e. Raqqa) to US-backed forces in 2017
Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Raqqa_(2017)
US Backed Forces Take Strategic Syrian Dam To Block ISIS From Escaping Raqqa
The maneuver appears to have been yet another blocking move, not just against ISIS forces but also against Syrian government and Russian forces.
www.thedrive.com
Marines "Burned Out" Two Howitzer Barrels During the Raqqa Offensive
New details highlight how important traditional artillery has been in the fighting against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
www.thedrive.com
Inside the Fight to Retake Raqqa From ISIS | This is what the fight was like to take Raqqa back from ISIS. (via HBO) | By VICE News | Facebook
This is what the fight was like to take Raqqa back from ISIS. (via HBO)
www.facebook.com
Rhetoric versus reality in the war in Raqqa
How the "most precise air campaign in history" left Raqqa, Syria, the most destroyed city in modern times. Explore our new interactive website to find out more.
raqqa.amnesty.org
---
4. American troops eliminate ISIL chief Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in a military operation in Syria (i.e. Idlib) in 2019 (also identified as Operation Kayla Mueller)
Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Abu_Bakr_al-Baghdadi
ISIL chief al-Baghdadi dead, confirms Trump
The US president says al-Baghdadi killed himself by exploding a suicide vest during the US raid in Syria’s Idlib.
US releases first images of Baghdadi raid
Raid commander says Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's remains buried at sea - Anadolu Ajansı
www.aa.com.tr
Witnesses describe night of Baghdadi's death
Residents of the village where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was staying spoke to Al-Monitor about what happened on the night of his assassination.
Everything We Know And Don't Know About The Raid That Killed ISIS Leader Al Baghdadi (Updated)
We know a surprisingly large amount about the deep raid into Syria to take out the depraved terrorist kingpin, but many questions still remain.
www.thedrive.com
Our Analysis Of New Info And Video From The Raid That Killed ISIS Head Al Baghdadi
New facts, videos, and imagery give new insights as to how U.S. forces got to the compound and then obliterated it after the operation was complete.
www.thedrive.com
------
PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTS
The Role of U.S. Airpower in Defeating ISIS
The United States used airpower in Syria and Iraq to halt ISIS's momentum and help defeat the organization, without committing a large number of ground forces.
www.rand.org
Airpower Was Indispensable to Defeating ISIS
Some argue that airpower could have been applied more vigorously in Operation Inherent Resolve to have more quickly defeated ISIS. Airpower was essential, but ground forces led by Iraqi and Syrian partners were needed to destroy the Islamic State as a territorial entity.
www.rand.org
Operation Inherent Resolve
This report, which outlines four battles within Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) and reviews U.S. ground force contributions to those battles, is intended to address gaps both in analysis and in the common understanding of OIR.
www.rand.org
Appreciating U.S. Ground Force Contributions to Operation Inherent Resolve
Defeating ISIS hinged on a ground fight, requiring the grueling liberation of territory kilometer by kilometer. While Iraqi forces bore the brunt of frontline fighting, U.S. forces were also engaged in on-the-ground combat operations that hastened the defeat of ISIS. Appreciating such...
www.rand.org
Lessons from Operation Inherent Resolve: From Ensuring the Enduring Defeat of ISIS to Stabilising the Region
This event will look at experience from Operation Inherent Resolve in countering ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and its future as part of a broader civilian-led strategy to bring greater stability to the region. , The Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve was established in 2014, with...
rusi.org
REFERENCES
*
The rise and fall of the Islamic State group: The long and short story
The US and its allies have reclaimed the last territory in Syria held by Islamic State (IS) militants.
www.bbc.com
Timeline: the Rise, Spread, and Fall of the Islamic State
At its height, the Islamic State - also known as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh - held about a third of Syria and 40 percent of Iraq. By December 2017 it had lost 95 percent of its territory, including its two biggest properties, Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, and the northern Syrian city of Raqqa...
Russia-Ukraine War - News and Developments PART 2
Its a bit too late for that: other than may be giving tactical nuclear weapons, everything from high-end SAMs, armor, and now even long range air to surface missiles supplied. I don't think Russia is showing up to the party with any more retaliation
defence.pk
