The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State

ISIS is currently one of the most revered terrorist organizations worldwide. The creation of this

organization was due to a combination of factors that were acting together. The Middle East

region has been unstable for an extended period of time. Because of the terrorism that originated

in this region which had detrimental impacts to the U.S. and other western nations, the U.S. had

been actively involved in a war in this region. This war which marked the war against terror had

the purpose of suppressing terrorist elements within the region and thus creating peace and

political stability. However, a transition into the Obama government withdrew all U.S. soldiers

from the region (PBS.org, 2018, 1). The power vacuum left by the U.S. in the region was

significant and thus the U.S. absence could not be covered by a single organization or regime. As

a result, small terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda which were dying started regrouping. On

the other hand, the ruling Iraq government started oppressing their Sunni counterpart and

instigating unlawful killings this combination of conditions brought chaos in the region which is

the best environment where the Taliban and terrorist organizations thrive.

The transition of governments in the U.S. and the new approach towards terror that was brought

about by President Obama can be blamed for the rise of ISIS. Obama’s strategy of dealing with

political instability in the Middle East was through diplomatic relations. Its military support was

limited to providing weapons for the recognized government and providing intelligence support

that provided key information about political and military activities that were happening in the

region. Therefore, when the Shia Iraq president Maliku started oppressing the Sunni Muslims,

Obama responded by saying that each country had its own rules and should address its own

issues (PBS.org, 2018, 1). This new approach was not only dormant in bringing positive effect

but rather it acted as an accelerant to the developing ISIS. This is because the oppressed parties
joined ISIS and made it stronger. In addition, the weak Iraq army could not defend the weapons

provided by the U.S. and thus the weapons that were supposed to strengthen them ended up in

the hands of the ISIS.

The strategy employed by ISIS is different from what was seen from all other terrorist groups.

Previously, terrorist groups used to operate in the shadows and were usually witnessed when

they came to cause harm. However, ISIS does not seek to destroy and flee but rather it

overcomes and controls the region that it captures. As consequence, it has a presence wherever it

goes and it keeps on evolving with timing. The evolution of ISIS can be seen where it first

declared itself as an Islamic State and then after some time, a caliphate. The position and roles of

the ISIS leader are also significant. Unlike in past terrorist movement where the leader like

Osama was limited to the Military functions and financing, ISIS’s leader also has a religious

position. This was indicated when he gave a sermon directed to all Muslims worldwide to come

together and join ISIS which is an Islamic religious empire that is not restricted by political

boundaries (PBS.org, 2018, 1). The religious status and rank of the ISIS leader have a great

symbolic factor since from this position he can convince and recruit people beyond the Middle

East since Islam is a global religion. While Obama’s strategy against ISIS was inefficient at best

and detrimental at worst, President Trump’s strategy is not an upgrade either. President Trump’s

approach towards terrorism is securing the U.S. borders and limiting immigration from countries

that harbor terrorists. However, what these two plans fail to acknowledge is that the welfare of

the U.S. Citizens goes beyond physical harm. This is because there are many U.S. interests

beyond the U.S, border that propel the U.S. economy and thus significantly contribute to the

welfare of the U.S. citizen. Good examples of these are the energy trade agreements and

infrastructures of the U.S. in the Middle East which need the protection of the U.S.
References

PBS.org. 2018. The Rise of ISIS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/rise-of-isis/transcript/