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ISIS Research Paper

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The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (or the Levant), ISIS, is the most recent terrorist organization to take hold of the Middle East. Controlling large portions of Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State began as an offshoot of al Qaeda in 2004, when it was originally known as al Qaeda in Iraq. While both organizations have radical anti-Western viewpoints, ISIS has taken its beliefs to an extreme form of Sharia law, as it tortures and executes other Muslims who do not have the same radical ideologies.

The United States’ current policy on ISIS is to mainly use airstrikes on ISIS strongholds, infrastructure, leaders, and other equipment. The US is also providing training and equipment to Iraqi and Syrian soldiers, as well as working with foreign …show more content…

The airstrikes and bombing campaigns have prevented ISIS from capturing Baghdad, along with many other cities in the region. These airstrikes have also destroyed a great amount of the Islamic State’s resources, as well as some of its powerful leaders. The Islamic State does not rely on a country or outside source for funding, as it has large oil reserves that it sells on the black market to earn millions of dollars a day. This is one of the main differences between ISIS and al Qaeda, and has allowed ISIS to focus on a long-term plan to create a caliphate in the area. While ISIS has used the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, as well as the beheadings of American and other foreign prisoners, to strike fear into the rest of the world, attacking them with American troops and other extreme measures could be playing right into their hands. While defeating ISIS as quickly as possible is always the goal, it might take longer than expected to destroy the Islamic State, thus the United States should stay the course and continue to use airstrikes and local forces to attack ISIS, while developing a long-term plan to defeat the Islamic State once and for

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