(VOVworld) – The Islamic State (IS) is an extremist group responsible for on-going violence across Iraq, and is expanding its activities neighboring Syria. In a report on Wednesday, the United Nations said IS gunmen have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. Despite efforts to deal with the danger posed by the IS, challenges remain in the international fight against this jihadist group.
The international community has expressed mounting concern about by IS after watching widespread attacks across Iraq, and the murder of US journalist James Foley in Syria. IS forces in Syria have been consolidating their control over the northern province of Raqqa, after occupying a strategic airbase at Al-Tabaqa. In the past few days, the IS has approached Aleppo province and taken control of the oil-rich Deir Ezzor province. IS gunmen have murdered, captured, tortured, and traded non-Arabs and non-Sunnis and destroyed cultural and religious places. Hundreds of people have been killed by the IS and more than 2500 others captured since early August. The IS has forced teenagers to join its army and used them as live shields.
Establishing an international coalition against the IS
General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said IS extremist gunmen, an immediate threat in the Middle East, will soon become a direct threat against the US and the EU. An international coalition to fight the IS militants is desperately needed.
The US, the UK, Canada, Albania, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, and France have agreed to provide weapons to the Kurds in northern Iraq to counter IS attacks. The German Foreign Ministry said Germany has been discussing with the US and other partners a possible military operation against the IS in Syria. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has urged Middle East countries to help western countries combat the IS militias in Syria and Iraq. The UN Committee for the elimination of racial discrimination has asked the UN Security Council to deploy a peacekeeping force in Iraq. The UN Human Rights Council will convene an emergency meeting in Geneva on September 1 to discuss atrocities by the IS and other rebel groups in Iraq.
Since August 8, US fighter jets and drones have been conducting strikes against the IS in Iraq and US aircraft have begun surveillance flights in Syria.
Considerable difficulty
Experts say IS attacks on the US and the West are just a matter of time. Former Director of the CIA Michael Hayden said attacking the West will be how the IS expresses its ambitions. So, fighting the IS will require cooperation among nations, a difficult prospect. US officials on Tuesday rejected any cooperation with Damascus to fight IS militants in Syria. White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said Washington considers President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime a terrorist threat. US military commanders are working on plans including airstrikes to fight the IS in Iraq and Syria. This was a blow to the Syrian government, which had said it would cooperate with the international community in fighting IS extremist militants. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem warned that Syria will not accept any unilateral military attack by the US or any other country and that any violation of Syria’s sovereignty will be considered an act of aggression. A number of US congressmen have asked the US administration to consult Congress before initiating airstrikes on IS targets in Syria.
On Thursday, the US and Australia warned their citizens against the IS in Syria. A US official said the biggest threat to the US now is that those gunmen would return to their countries and conduct terror attacks. David Irvine, Director of Australia’s Secret Intelligence Service, estimated that approximately 60 Australian citizens had become members of the IS or Al-Nusra, which is linked with Al-Qaeda. In addition, 100 people in Australia are aiding the recruitment network of extremist organizations in Syria and Iraq.
International cooperation to prevent the IS from expanding its influence is of paramount importance. This will not be easy.