No, not the Egyptian goddess of women and fertility, nor the East coast band formed by Kevin Williams in the late 80's. ISIS, the Middle Eastern terrorist organization is the entity of discussion.
As of June 29 of 2014, the group everyone knows as ISIS(Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham or Syria) changed its name, again, to IS(Islamic State) and declared itself as a worldwide caliphate(the rank, jurisdiction, or government of a Caliph). With the name change came this decree, 'Accordingly, the 'Iraq' and 'ash-Sham' in the name of Islamic State is henceforth removed from all official deliberations and communications, and the official name is 'The Islamic State' from the date of this declaration'. We will use ISIS here to avoid confusion.
ISIS has been, and is, known by several names, i.e., IS; as stated above. ISIL; Islamic State of Iraq and Levant. ISIS; as stated above. In Arabic as, 'ad-Dawlah al-Islamiyah fil-Iraq wash-Sham' which has lead to the acronyms, Da'ish, Da'eesh or Daesh.
ISIS originated as 'Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad' in 1999, pledging allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2004. After mergers with other Sunni groups, they proclaimed the formation of ISI(Islamic State of Iraq) in October of 2006. In April of 2013, the Nursa Front merged with ISI, then renaming the group ISIL or ISIS. But, at least two leaders said no, al-Nursa and al-Qaeda, rejected the deal. al-Qaeda cut ties with ISIS on February 3, 2014.
The current leader of ISIS is, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, whose real name is, Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Sammarai, born a Sunni in 1971 in Samarra, was released from prison in 2009 by Barrack Obama. He uses Dr. as a prefix, as he claims to have a doctorate at Islamic University in Baghdad, and claims to be a direct descendant to the prophet Muhammad. Baghdadi is also believed to have been an Islamic preacher in 2003 and he founded the armed group, 'Jaish Ahl-Sunna wal-Jamaa' in the Diyala province. But the group never became well known.
He limits his own movements, limits access and contacts to him personally to only a very few members who know him directly and are trusted. Most members have never seen him and when he does allow access he wears a face cover, protecting himself from even his own followers. On June 29, 2014, Baghdadi was appointed Caliph(a spiritual leader of Islam, claiming succession from Muhammad) of IS, the same day they changed their official name and declared themselves a worldwide caliphate. Their goal being the eradication of all non believers.
As we have seen, ISIS attracts all kinds people, from all corners of the globe, including the United States of America. How do they reach them? One way, of many, is through social media. Twitter accounts and apps,i.e., 'Dawn of Glad Tidings' app that gives ISIS permission to send Tweets into user accounts and updates with news and information. They also use Instagram, Facebook and Middle Eastern networks. ISIS also employs experienced media and marketing people. In fact, they have an entire media company backing their productions and distributions, the 'al-Hayat Media Center'. ISIS offers women 'sexual comfort roles' and the promise of a devout husband. They opened marriage centers in Syria, where women can register to be the wife of a Jihadist. ISIS gifts the couple a paid honeymoon. But, they must stay within the boundaries of the caliphate in Iraq and Syria.
The total number of ISIS fighters is unknown, the estimates range from 20,000 to 200,000 plus.
ISIS became well known when it filled the vacuum created by the mass exodus approved and enacted by Barrack Obama. Since that time they have not only kept their reputation and fame, but have become more vicious in their acts. Here is a short list...
-June 2014; ISIS line the roads with decapitated Policemen and Soldiers.
-August 2014; American Journalist, James Foley, beheaded
-September 2014; American Journalist, Steven Sotloff, beheaded
-September 2014; Aid worker, David Haines, beheaded
-September 2014; Mountaineering guide, Herve' Gourdel, beheaded
-October 2014; 9 Kurdish soldiers, including 3 women, beheaded
-October 2014; British aid worker, Alan Henning, beheaded
-November 2014; U.S. Army vet, Peter Kassig, beheaded
-December 2014; 4 young christian children, beheaded
-January 2015; ISIS members in Lybia claim to have executed Tunsanian journalist Sofiene Chourabi and Nadhir Ktari.
-February 2015; Royal Jordanian Air Force pilot, Muath al-Kasasbeth, burned alive inside a cage.
-February 2015; Japanese hostage, beheaded
-February 2015; 21 Egyptian coptic christians, mass beheading
-February 2015; Aid worker, Katie Mueller, ISIS claimed was killed in an American air strike, later confirmed to at the hands of ISIS.
-February 2015; ISIS burns 8000+ rare books in Mosul.
-March 2015; 8 Shiites in Syrian province of Hama, beheaded
-April 2015; Mass beheading of Ethiopian christians
-April 2015; ISIS destroys christian grave sites in Mosul.
-April 2015; ISIS destroys historical, mainly Christian, monuments.
These are just a sample of the atrosities committed by ISIS. The Quran references 'beheadings of the non-believers'; 'Therefore when ye meet the unbelievers in fight, smite at their necks, at length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly on them. Thereafter is the time for either generosity or ransom. Until the war lays down its burdens. Thus, ye are commanded; but if it had been Allahs will, he could certainly exacted retribution for them, himself, but he lets you fight in order to test you, some with others. But, those who are slain in the way of Allah, he will never let their deeds be lost.' Quran 47:4
ISIS has taken city after city across the Middle East, i.e., Ramadi, Tikrit, Mosul, Rutba, Fallujah, Arsal, Rakka, Sulaiman Beg, Jalawla, and many others. By taking these cities, and funding from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey and Qatar, they have captured and/or amassed massive amounts of gear and weaponry. They sell captured equipment, oil from captured oil wells, selling captured antiquities and seized monies, i.e., 500 million in gold from the bank in Mosul. This is a list of items they have, this is by no means a complete list as much of what they have is unknown and in unknown quantities.
-M198 155mm Howitzers; towed armament, range 14 miles, 4 rounds per minute, requires a crew of 9, from Iraqi military, 52 known units.
-T55 Soviet tanks; heavy armor, 100mm rifled gun and secondary 7.62mm machine gun, approximately 30.
-T72 Soviet tanks; heavy armor, 125mm gun, secondary 7.62mm machine gun and anti-aircraft gun, approximately 10.
-AK-47 automatic weapon; unknown quantity.
-M79 Osa Rocket Launcher; 90mm shell, effective against tanks and fortified positions. Believed to have originated in Croatia, then smuggled to Syria by Saudi Arabia. Unknown quantity.
-RBG-6 Grenade Launcher; semi automatic, light weight. Also smuggled by Saudi Arabia. Unknown quantity.
-RPG-7 Anti Tank weapon; 900 meter range, portable, unguided, shoulder launched, durable and low cost. Unknown quantity.
-Type 59-1 Field Gun; 17 mile range, Chinese copy of the Soviet M46 M1954 towed Field Gun. Unknown quantity.
-ZU-23-2 Anti Aircraft gun; Soviet model auto cannon, 23mm rounds fired at a rate of up to 400 rounds per minute, 2 mile range. Unknown quantity.
-FIM-92 Stinger MANPAD; shoulder fired, infrared homing, surface to air missle. Exetremely effective at downing low flying aircraft. Unknown quantity.
-HJ-8 Anti Tank Missle; range of 6,000 meters, Chinese made. Good against armor, bunkers and fortifications. Unknown quantity.
-DShK 1938 Machine Gun; 600 rounds per minute, Soviet heavy machine gun, can be mounted. Anti aircraft and heavy infantry support. Unknown quantity.
-Various Trucks, pick ups, Humvees and Armored vehicles. Various heavy equipment, bulldozers, loaders, etc. Various captured arms, hand guns, rifles and automatic weapons. Ammunition. All in unknown quantities.
-Although refuted by the Obama administration, CNN reports that former Iraqi military officers are training members of the extremist group to fly captured war planes.
Many of the weapons and equipment have come, indirectly, from America. We supplied the Iraqi Army with weapons, ammuniton, vehicles, training and intelligence to fight ISIS. In June of 2014, Iraqi troops flee the fight leaving behind weapons, vehicles and uniforms Militants took 5 Army bases and an airport. The U.S. had put 25 billion into the training and equipment. Then, America resupplied the Iraqi army. In May of 2015, ISIS attacked again, the Iraqi forces fled the town of Ramadi, once more, leaving behind weapons, ammunition, vehicles, etc. It has been stated that the U.S. will, once again, resupply the Iraqi army.
The U.S. Commander in Iraq, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, recommended keeping 14,000 to 18,000 American troops in Iraq as a security force, there were 45,000 troops there at that time. Obama rejected the recommendation. Commanders then reduced the requested numbers to 10,000, also rejected by Obama. The white House insisted the number be cut to 3,000 to 4,000, an insufficient number to provide force protection and to train Iraqi troops. Iraq rejected the 3,000 to 4,000 as not worth the political costs of giving Americans immunity from prosecution in the Iraq judicial system. Hence, Obama approved the mass exodus of all U.S. troops in Iraq, which created the vacuum that ISIS filled and became the entity we know today.
In 2014, the Democratic party, DNC, began blaming ex-President George Bush for Iraq descending into chaos. Even though Obama inherited a pacified Iraq, where the terrorists were defeated militarily and ideologically. As a matter of fact, in 2011, the Obama administration tried to claim credit for the pacification of Iraq. Even to the point of claiming ISIS to be a JV team in 2012. When Obama took office the terrorists had been driven from their safe havens, now they threaten to take control of an entire nation.
In August of 2014, a laptop belonging to Muhammad S., a Tunsanian Jihadist was found. Muhammad S. joined ISIS in Syria and has a back round in Chemistry and Physics. The files on the laptop were in French, English and Arabic. The information found contained videos of Usama Bin Laden, ideological justifications for Jihad, tutorials on how to carry out ISIS deadly campaigns, how to develop biological weapons and how to weaponize the Bubonic Plague(from infected animals). Islamic sholars have stated that WMD's(weapons of mass destruction) are prohibited. But, material on the computer included a Fatwa(Islamic ruling) permitting the use of WMD's.
Stating, 'If Muslims cannot defeat the Kafir(non believers), it is permissible to use WMD's against them'. The Fatwa was by Nasir al-Fahd currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday, May 16, 2015, American troops killed a key ISIS leader, Abu Sayyaf, and have captured his wife, Umm, for questioning. A Tunsanian, Abu Sayyaf'a real name was Fathi ben-Awn ben-Jildi Murad al-Tunisi. Abu was in charge of illicit oil and gasoline operations. He was also involved in military operations as a known associate of al-Baghdadi. There has been no information released as to what the U.S. has learned from his wife, Umm.
What are we doing to squelch the terrorist threat, ISIS? The quick answer is very little. From the reports I have seen and the information available, the U.S. runs an average of 6 to 8 air sorties a day. Compared to the 43 day Desert Storm air campaign, where 48,224 air strikes were performed, which translates into roughly 1,100 per day. There are, basically, no official fighting ground troops in the ME. There is, however, a small contingency to provide training. I have heard the argument that we have no business fighting ISIS in the ME, but I adamently disagree. ISIS has kidnapped, violated, and beheaded Americans to facilitate their twisted views of religion and ideologies. They have served direct threats to America, Americans and people of any other faith other than Muslim. We have seen an increasing number of terrorist acts here on our soil, some have been labeled 'workplace violence' by our POTUS. But, In my line of thinking, beheading someone at work is far beyond disgruntleism.
Recently, we have learned that ISIS has a training camp a mere 8 miles from the Texas border. That, along with the continual influx of illegals, give ISIS direct access to America. A country that ISIS has stated they will destroy and fly their black flag over the White House. Also, Obama has deemed it necessary to fly in Syrian 'refugees' that contain an unknown percentage of terrorists.
In my humble opinion, Barrack Obama's agenda is in full effect. Some say he has no clue what he is doing, I believe the exact opposite, he knows very well what he is doing and what he has yet to do.
