Well, ISIS is in news almost every day and in control of vast areas in Iraq and Syria. And in the most brutal way possible. This is an attempt to study who they are and what they have been up to.
I should say this in the beginning. I am not sure if they are the most brutal of organizations in the world today. The difference between ISIS and other groups and regimes is that ISIS would proudly post gruesome videos of what they do to their captives online. Others are covert about what they do.
ISIS perhaps is baiting western governments to intervene which would give this organization a great boost in terms of legitimacy and recruitment.
For me, what happened in Iraq has a lot to do with Arab Culture and Political structure. That culture is NOT READY for ‘democracy’. You would surely fail if you try to view their cuntry from the lens of democracy and try to bring ‘freedom’ that country by force. Following is a very good piece trying to integrate Arab military strategies and their culture:
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Why Arabs Lose Wars :: Middle East Quarterly
…Decisions are made and delivered from on high, with very little lateral communication. This leads to a highly centralized system, with authority hardly ever delegated. Rarely does an officer make a critical decision on his own; instead, he prefers the safe course of being identified as industrious, intelligent, loyal—and compliant. Bringing attention to oneself as an innovator or someone prone to make unilateral decisions is a recipe for trouble. As in civilian life, conformism is the overwhelming societal norm; the nail that stands up gets hammered down. Orders and information flow from top to bottom; they are not to be reinterpreted, amended, or modified in any way…
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The following article is perhaps the best and balanced that I have come across describing the origins and nature of this band of animals and their breaking-away from Al-Qaeda:
All you need to know about ISIS and what is happening in Iraq ? RT News
For those who have time, the following video looks at rise of ISIS from American point of view:
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and Video: Losing Iraq | Watch FRONTLINE Online | PBS Video
For those with youtube access, the following videos giving glimpses from ‘inside’ ISIS can be helpful if you are wondering if these guys are in it for the long haul (hint: bad news, they are serious!)
Now, the following blog (I am 100% sure about the accuracy of events stated, but it is still a good summary) tries to trace the friendship/hate matrix in middle east
From Muhammad to ISIS: Iraq’s Full Story | Wait But Why
What ISIS did during first few months of ‘fighting’:
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For those with youtube access and not much time, the following video can wrap things up:
