Since its rise to power, the Islamic State (IS) has invaded and controlled western Iraq and eastern Syria with a clearly defined intention to establish and expand a caliphate. International human rights organization Amnesty International published a report on the mass abductions and killings of thousands of non-Arabs and non-Sunni Muslims, unequivocally recognized as an ethnic cleansing, and other crimes against humanity that have been carried out by Islamic militants.
The rapid expansion of radical extremism that has contributed to these large-scale human rights crimes is not only a violent danger to the citizens within IS territory, but, through the power of social media, an increasing threat to the way of life across the globe. This is evident in the uprisings in Southeast Asia inspired by the success of IS, as well as hundreds of people from all over the world, typically young and/or middle-class, flying to Syria to join IS in its mission. There exists an urgency to dismantle, or at least, contain IS from continuing its development.
The U.S. has established a clear intention of doing so. Secretary of State John Kerry stated in a response to the beheadings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff: “When terrorists anywhere around the world have murdered our citizens, the United States held them accountable, no matter how long it took. And those who have murdered James Foley and Steven Sotloff in Syria should know that the United States will hold them accountable, too, no matter how long it takes.” President Barack Obama also confirmed this: “Those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget, our reach is long and that justice will be served.” There exists a pronounced expectation, set forth by the government and reinforced by the severity of the threat, that the U.S. will inevitably detain and terminate this terrorist organization.
While the IS specifically addresses the U.S., it is not the only global power threatened by the group. At the end of the video showing the beheading of Steven Sotloff, IS militants threatened to behead a British hostage if U.S. air strikes continue, pressing Britain and the UK to respond. When observing IS’s plan to geographically expand its caliphate, the insurgency intends to capture Spain and Portugal as well as several Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria and Greece, implicating the entire EU. The IS also intends to annex Northern Africa into its caliphate, thus involving China, who, according to AidData, has supplied a total of over $70 billion in foreign aid, largely for infrastructure development, to the region.
The Islamic State is a clear threat to the human rights of individuals within its insurgency, but is also a threat to the international security of other nations as the ideology inspires people across the globe to adopt a destructive mindset and as the IS has established a clear resolve to invade and control regions in Europe and Africa to rebuild a caliphate. The U.S. has stated it will not allow the dangerous expansion of IS to continue, and other countries facing this threat should follow suit.
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International Pressure to Contain the Islamic State
December 10, 2014
Since its rise to power, the Islamic State (IS) has invaded and controlled western Iraq and eastern Syria with a clearly defined intention to establish and expand a caliphate. International human rights organization Amnesty International published a report on the mass abductions and killings of thousands of non-Arabs and non-Sunni Muslims, unequivocally recognized as an ethnic cleansing, and other crimes against humanity that have been carried out by Islamic militants.
The rapid expansion of radical extremism that has contributed to these large-scale human rights crimes is not only a violent danger to the citizens within IS territory, but, through the power of social media, an increasing threat to the way of life across the globe. This is evident in the uprisings in Southeast Asia inspired by the success of IS, as well as hundreds of people from all over the world, typically young and/or middle-class, flying to Syria to join IS in its mission. There exists an urgency to dismantle, or at least, contain IS from continuing its development.
The U.S. has established a clear intention of doing so. Secretary of State John Kerry stated in a response to the beheadings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff: “When terrorists anywhere around the world have murdered our citizens, the United States held them accountable, no matter how long it took. And those who have murdered James Foley and Steven Sotloff in Syria should know that the United States will hold them accountable, too, no matter how long it takes.” President Barack Obama also confirmed this: “Those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget, our reach is long and that justice will be served.” There exists a pronounced expectation, set forth by the government and reinforced by the severity of the threat, that the U.S. will inevitably detain and terminate this terrorist organization.
While the IS specifically addresses the U.S., it is not the only global power threatened by the group. At the end of the video showing the beheading of Steven Sotloff, IS militants threatened to behead a British hostage if U.S. air strikes continue, pressing Britain and the UK to respond. When observing IS’s plan to geographically expand its caliphate, the insurgency intends to capture Spain and Portugal as well as several Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria and Greece, implicating the entire EU. The IS also intends to annex Northern Africa into its caliphate, thus involving China, who, according to AidData, has supplied a total of over $70 billion in foreign aid, largely for infrastructure development, to the region.
The Islamic State is a clear threat to the human rights of individuals within its insurgency, but is also a threat to the international security of other nations as the ideology inspires people across the globe to adopt a destructive mindset and as the IS has established a clear resolve to invade and control regions in Europe and Africa to rebuild a caliphate. The U.S. has stated it will not allow the dangerous expansion of IS to continue, and other countries facing this threat should follow suit.
