Memo 2: The United States' Involvement in the Creation of ISIS
To: POL 245: American Foreign Policy
From: Nicole Buchanan, Hillary Ferreira, Brenna Kueter, Will Moreton, and Taylor White (Group 5)
Date: April 14, 2019
RE: The United States’ Involvement in the Creation of ISIS
Executive Summary
In 2001 the United States and its allies declared a “War on Terror” with the intent of responding to the September 11th attacks and eradicating violent extremism, with a particular interest in combating partners, sponsors, and any movement with links to al-Qaeda. This global initiative paved the way for multiple military operations, specifically incursions in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, when looking closer into the actions and policies of the United States during this period it is apparent that a fundamental lack of understanding and extensive abuses of power have led to the creation of new and more dangerous extremist movements, most notably the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). While these actions cannot be undone, it would be beneficial for the United States to use these events as an example when developing and acting within the Middle East, especially in its state-building and counterterrorism efforts.
In 2001 the United States and its allies declared a “War on Terror” with the intent of responding to the September 11th attacks and eradicating violent extremism, with a particular interest in combating partners, sponsors, and any movement with links to al-Qaeda. This global initiative paved the way for multiple military operations, specifically incursions in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, when looking closer into the actions and policies of the United States during this period it is apparent that a fundamental lack of understanding and extensive abuses of power have led to the creation of new and more dangerous extremist movements, most notably the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). While these actions cannot be undone, it would be beneficial for the United States to use these events as an example when developing and acting within the Middle East, especially in its state-building and counterterrorism efforts.
The United States in the Iraq War:
The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 under the pretense of protecting the world from a state that possessed weapons of mass destruction and provided support to radical extremists. During this eight-year incursion, the United States enacted a number of policies that can be directly traced to the formation of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), specifically American efforts to disband the Iraqi military and dissolve the Baath regime. Dissolving Iraqi armed forces left highly-skilled and well-trained officers unemployed and disillusioned with the American presence in their country. Overthrowing the Baath regime and the party of Saddam Hussein further destabilized Iraq and ignited religious divides between the Sunni minority that had previously held power and Shia majority who stepped in to take these open leadership positions.
The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 under the pretense of protecting the world from a state that possessed weapons of mass destruction and provided support to radical extremists. During this eight-year incursion, the United States enacted a number of policies that can be directly traced to the formation of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), specifically American efforts to disband the Iraqi military and dissolve the Baath regime. Dissolving Iraqi armed forces left highly-skilled and well-trained officers unemployed and disillusioned with the American presence in their country. Overthrowing the Baath regime and the party of Saddam Hussein further destabilized Iraq and ignited religious divides between the Sunni minority that had previously held power and Shia majority who stepped in to take these open leadership positions.
While the United States felt its actions in Iraq removed a violent regime from the region, what they neglected to understand is how expelling the governing party would destabilize the country. Widespread American resentment ensued and growing terrorist organizations such as ISIS were able to utilize the high unemployment rate and divisive internal tension to recruit members of the previously deposed military and government. Unlike American officials who ignored the plight of Iraqi Sunnis, ISIS Caliphs Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, among others within the organization’s leadership, have created a platform where disillusioned citizens can act to return their country to what they view as a stable, transformed, and Sunni-lead state.
The Effects of United States’ Human Rights Abuses:
The United States has strategized countless times on how to defeat terrorist organizations, and because of their threat to American values, government officials have been able to justify the use of electronic surveillance, organized drone attacks, and torture as countering methods. Drone strikes have increasingly become the most common human rights abuse employed by the United States and their usage has exponentially increased since the initiation of the “War on Terror”. Drone strikes often rely on unreliable intelligence such as geolocating by SIM card; once the SIM card picks up a signal, the location can be narrowed and the area can be struck. The United States is prompted to send a drone to kill the target behind the phone while their position remains known, but the vast majority of the time this location is only confirmed by the single cell signal. There is often no way to determine whether the intended target was killed or if the person behind the SIM card was an uninvolved connection borrowing the phone.
In addition to drone strikes, the United States military has committed massive human rights abuses while engaged in wars abroad. Following the invasion of Iraq, American forces renovated the detention center known as Abu Ghraib to imprison and interrogate people with suspected links to terrorist activity. However, the prison became notorious for incidents of torture and abuse carried out by the 372nd Military Police Company and the Central Intelligence Agency. Detainees held at Abu Ghraib were largely innocent of their alleged crimes and thus needlessly tortured and ridiculed. While the majority of these people were not members of any extremist movements at the time, this shared experience created a recruiting sphere for ISIS members once American troops withdrew from Iraq. Despite the relatively short period of American oversight at Abu Ghraib, a distinct foundation was created where individuals would be willing to enlist as members of ISIS and ultimately expand the terrorist organization.
The United States has strategized countless times on how to defeat terrorist organizations, and because of their threat to American values, government officials have been able to justify the use of electronic surveillance, organized drone attacks, and torture as countering methods. Drone strikes have increasingly become the most common human rights abuse employed by the United States and their usage has exponentially increased since the initiation of the “War on Terror”. Drone strikes often rely on unreliable intelligence such as geolocating by SIM card; once the SIM card picks up a signal, the location can be narrowed and the area can be struck. The United States is prompted to send a drone to kill the target behind the phone while their position remains known, but the vast majority of the time this location is only confirmed by the single cell signal. There is often no way to determine whether the intended target was killed or if the person behind the SIM card was an uninvolved connection borrowing the phone.
In addition to drone strikes, the United States military has committed massive human rights abuses while engaged in wars abroad. Following the invasion of Iraq, American forces renovated the detention center known as Abu Ghraib to imprison and interrogate people with suspected links to terrorist activity. However, the prison became notorious for incidents of torture and abuse carried out by the 372nd Military Police Company and the Central Intelligence Agency. Detainees held at Abu Ghraib were largely innocent of their alleged crimes and thus needlessly tortured and ridiculed. While the majority of these people were not members of any extremist movements at the time, this shared experience created a recruiting sphere for ISIS members once American troops withdrew from Iraq. Despite the relatively short period of American oversight at Abu Ghraib, a distinct foundation was created where individuals would be willing to enlist as members of ISIS and ultimately expand the terrorist organization.
The Rise of ISIS:
In December of 2010 a series of uprisings collectively known as Arab Spring broke out across the Middle East and Northern Africa, with revolutionary movements persisting until 2012 and cumulative effects still being felt in the region. The rebellions initially broke out with the primary goal of overthrowing problematic authoritarian regimes, many of which had previously been backed by western democracies. In Syria, the Arab Spring destabilized the oppressive Assad regime and encouraged the spread of public demonstrations, especially after peaceful protests were violently subdued. In response, a multi-faceted civil war broke out and the collapse of internal structure has allowed for groups such as ISIS to gain territory and increase their scope beyond Iraq. After these rebellions were suppressed, loyal revolutionaries turned to groups such as ISIS, who exploited the disgruntled population with promises of an end to tumultuous western influence within the region. The involvement of the United States in Iraq gave the Arab Spring movement more traction and ultimately allowed for ISIS to recruit more civilians than what was previously possible before the rebellions, many of which had been affected by Abu Ghraib or oppressive regimes.
Additionally, ISIS utilizes a vast network of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube to promote their religious ideologies and recruit new members. In 2015, a peak year for the organization, their extensive online presence garnered an estimated 30,000 fighters. These mobilization methods have a reach much beyond any physical land the group has acquired: approximately 300 American civilians attempted to convert to Islam with the intention of joining the group.
In December of 2010 a series of uprisings collectively known as Arab Spring broke out across the Middle East and Northern Africa, with revolutionary movements persisting until 2012 and cumulative effects still being felt in the region. The rebellions initially broke out with the primary goal of overthrowing problematic authoritarian regimes, many of which had previously been backed by western democracies. In Syria, the Arab Spring destabilized the oppressive Assad regime and encouraged the spread of public demonstrations, especially after peaceful protests were violently subdued. In response, a multi-faceted civil war broke out and the collapse of internal structure has allowed for groups such as ISIS to gain territory and increase their scope beyond Iraq. After these rebellions were suppressed, loyal revolutionaries turned to groups such as ISIS, who exploited the disgruntled population with promises of an end to tumultuous western influence within the region. The involvement of the United States in Iraq gave the Arab Spring movement more traction and ultimately allowed for ISIS to recruit more civilians than what was previously possible before the rebellions, many of which had been affected by Abu Ghraib or oppressive regimes.
Additionally, ISIS utilizes a vast network of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube to promote their religious ideologies and recruit new members. In 2015, a peak year for the organization, their extensive online presence garnered an estimated 30,000 fighters. These mobilization methods have a reach much beyond any physical land the group has acquired: approximately 300 American civilians attempted to convert to Islam with the intention of joining the group.
Recommended Actions for the United States:
Clearly previous actions taken by the United States have not only been ineffective, but detrimental to relations in the region. Many of the techniques developed to defeat terrorist networks have been unsuccessful: regime change without viable exit strategies cause power vacuums that enable and strengthen terrorist organizations, drone strikes have a high potential for civilian casualty and the intended target often cannot be confirmed, and human rights abuses have a history of being used as propaganda tools to recruit new members to extremist organizations. Therefore, it would be in the United States' best interest to promote peace with a bottom up approach; creating a localized desire to defeat terrorist organizations such as ISIS will be more effective than employing a top down approach that appears to be advancing the viewpoints and interests of the United States. If societies in Iraq, Syria, and other affected areas aim to root out extremist movements existing within their communities, the effects of antiterrorism efforts will likely last longer and serve as a more legitimate alternative to forced action by western countries.
Clearly previous actions taken by the United States have not only been ineffective, but detrimental to relations in the region. Many of the techniques developed to defeat terrorist networks have been unsuccessful: regime change without viable exit strategies cause power vacuums that enable and strengthen terrorist organizations, drone strikes have a high potential for civilian casualty and the intended target often cannot be confirmed, and human rights abuses have a history of being used as propaganda tools to recruit new members to extremist organizations. Therefore, it would be in the United States' best interest to promote peace with a bottom up approach; creating a localized desire to defeat terrorist organizations such as ISIS will be more effective than employing a top down approach that appears to be advancing the viewpoints and interests of the United States. If societies in Iraq, Syria, and other affected areas aim to root out extremist movements existing within their communities, the effects of antiterrorism efforts will likely last longer and serve as a more legitimate alternative to forced action by western countries.
Bibliography
Bureau of Public Affairs: U.S. Department of State. "Winning the War on Terror." September 11, 2003. https://2001-2009.state.gov/documents/organization/24172.pdf.
Hanna, Jason. "Here's How ISIS Was Really Founded." CNN. August 13, 2016. Accessed April 11, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/12/middleeast/here-is-how-isis-began/index.html.
Myre, Greg. "Americans In ISIS: Some 300 Tried To Join, 12 Have Returned To U.S." NPR. February 05, 2018. https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/02/05/583407221/americans-in-isis-some-300-tried-to-join-12-have-returned-to-u-s.
Pearlman, Wendy. "The Surprising Ways Fear Has Shaped Syria’s War." Reflections Five Years After the Uprisings. March 28, 2016. http://pomeps.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/POMEPS_Studies_18_Reflections_Web.pdf.
Scahill, Jeremy, and Glenn Greenwald. "The NSA's Secret Role in the U.S. Assassination Program." February 10, 2014. https://theintercept.com/2014/02/10/the-nsas-secret-role/.
Wintour, Patrick, and Shiv Malik. "Hundreds of Britons Caught Trying to Join Jihadis, Says Foreign Secretary." The Guardian. January 15, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/15/foreign-secretary-600-uk-citizens-isis-syria-philip-hammond.
Overall, this memo explains a difficult concept in such a way that makes it easier to understand. Many people are unaware that much of the creation of terrorist organizations has been due to the involvement of the US. Through our dismantle of the Baathist regime we essentially demolished a functioning government. It was not perfect or fair to all by any means, but it worked for some of the people. If we approached it from the bottom up like your group suggests there may have been a better outcome. However, we do need to take some responsibility for our actions in the area. Your group is able to show how the US, an immense actor on the world stage, can make mistakes that have dire consequences. We may preach human rights, yet we do not give all humans the same ones we grant our citizens.
ReplyDeleteThe role of the US becoming involved in unintentionally creating foreign terrorist networks is not new. The US's funding of Afghan militants to combat the Soviet invasion during the Cold War directly led to the creation of Al Qaeda and bin Laden. Your memo provides a good wake up call to American policymakers in Washington and American forces deployed in the Middle East. Your stress on a bottom-up approach to peace keeping would have a great influence in capturing people's hearts and minds away from joining transnational terrorist networks.
ReplyDelete-Adam Miller
This memo was very well written and concise. US involvement in the Middle East, especially Iraq and Syria, is a very complicated subject, and I think the group did well in touching upon important topics within this subject.
ReplyDeleteThe social media piece is interesting and I think that will remain a growing threat for the US and its counterterrorism strategies. In an increasing globalized world, social media and the internet will continue to be key tools for terrorist organizations to recruit new members and push out propaganda, and this is something the US should continue to monitor. What ISIS has done as well through social media and direct phone contact is promote the Islamic state as a sort of "paradise" especially to vulnerable Muslim youth living in Western countries, similar to the women who went to ISIS from the US and England. This is certainly something to continue to be aware of as well.
I think you are correct that the US' future foreign policy initiatives should include a bottom-up approach. The US needs to have better cultural, historical, and social understanding of the region and country before it intervenes in this way. US officials should use the expertise of scholars who truly understand the region and country and utilize Bremmer's questions regarding foresight before it decides to intervene. After all, these are human lives and if the US is intervening, it should not sacrifice the lives of innocent people in the process.
This memo did a great job explaining a topic that is difficult but important to discuss. The middle east has been an area the US has had great involvement in for decades. It appears every action the US takes brings forth another problem for them to solve in the area. The destabilization of Iraq was a great example of this your memo used. I would like to hear more on how you imagine a bottom up approach would look like. I agree with the idea that the US needs help from stable governments in the area to defeat terrorist groups but do not know how these relations can be fostered.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a very interesting and very well written memo on such a difficult and divided topic. The Middle East will likely remain an area of constant US presence for years to come due to the problems that we have created in the region. I agree with your recommendation that the US should try from a bottom up approach in creating regional stability as already shown by the current state of the region, our traditional methods have simply not worked.
ReplyDeleteI thought this memo did a good job explaining the US focus in the Middle East due to the war on terror. Part of the being the Indispensable America means we are involved in conflicts or areas that aren’t in favor of American influence. Party leaders, like Saddam Hussein, were viewed as threats to Americans in the 2000’s but in the 1960’s we had trained Saddam Hussein and provided him with weapons because at the time he was viewed as an ‘ally’. The US should look closer to whom it chooses to be friends or foes with, and in doing so understand that the commitment is long term. Do not seek alliances with people or groups that hold ideologies that threaten American democracy for temporary aid. Adding on, drone strikes remove part of the humanity in any ongoing conflict but the US is not the only country to do so. As conflicts continue to increase, saving lives by eliminating troops on the ground and resorting to technology is going to become a common occurrence.
ReplyDeleteThis memo did a great job describing the war on terror and how ISIS has risen especially with the role of the media. I thought it would have been interesting if there was a section describing the United States role in combating terrorist groups like ISIS to prevent them from attaining new members through social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc. Since the media will only continue to grow this is a prevalent issue that the U.S. government must acknowledge. Overall, I agree with your bottom up approach in order to create a more stabilized government to promote peace.
ReplyDelete- Glendy Alvarez
This memo does a great job explaining the rise of ISIS and US involvement in the region. I really liked your discussion of the Arab Spring's role in the creation of ISIS as it destabilized the region. My only suggestion would be to maybe aid a little more detail about the humanitarian and refugee crisis that resulted from the Syrian Civil War and the role that ISIS plays in it. I thought your recommendations for the United States are pretty effective and I liked how you discussed how US intervention has devastated the region before considering future US action. It will be interesting to see the long-term fate of democracy in the region.
ReplyDeleteThis blog post does a very good job explaining the responsibilities of the United States in the development on ISIS. This brings forward the age old argument of how best to fight an ideology. Unfortunately, many people believe in fighting fire with fire which, when combating an extremist ideology, only lights a more ferocious flame. The instability in the region is another aspect that feeds into the spread of this ideology and calls for more people to join. When individuals get desperate to feed their families, or saw violence and death against people they care about from a foreign entity, there is little room for thinking clearly. Thus the further spread of the ISIS mentality which you all so eloquently spoke to in this memo. -Shannon S
ReplyDeleteOwen de Graaf-
ReplyDeleteThis blog did an excellent job at highlighting the situation at hand as well as the US involvement. Many have believed the problem with ISIS was over, however, through this class we have learned the problem isn't gone but more so hiding. The US does have ties back to the mid 20th century showing where they provided weapons to these 'rebels' who would fight their governments. however, over the course of time they gained stronger positions and began to change the reasons they were fighting. Additionally, this was rooted back to them being supplied by the US in which now the US is fighting against the people they originally helped. Great memo topic!
I think it is genuinely so important to discuss the issues America has contributed to the countries in which we invade, especially when America is driven on nationalism. The United States has contributed to major human rights violations when considering the killing of civilians as well as drone strikes in major cities. Great memo topic, and especially today after the Sri Lanka explosions, ISIS is more important than ever. Many think they have gone away but they are very much still targeting Western ideologies and should not be taken lightly.
ReplyDelete