The emergence of terror attacks

The rise of terror attacks and the perception of the United States

The rise of terror attacks, most of which are related to the Islamic community, raises the level of insecurity in the United States and other parts of the world. The issue is that Islamic insurgent groups such as ISIS form negative opinions about the United States, the primary one being that the Western nation (the United States) impedes the expansion of the Islamic empire and religion. Gaining insight into ISIS’s perceptions of the United States will provide guidance on how to avert future strikes by the developing organisation. Lack of understanding on how ISIS views the U.S. will make it difficult to understand the group’s motive and it will continue to paint a negative image of the Middle East to Americans.

Context

The Islamic State in Syria (ISIS) is emerging to be one of the dangerous terror groups in the world and it is important to come up with quick solutions to the problem, otherwise more destruction will occur. The recent attacks in Paris, Baghdad, Istanbul, and Beirut which are all linked to ISIS create terror and as Sarton warns that ISIS which is also referred to as Islamic State (IS) of Daesh is becoming a menace and difficult to control because it now comprises of 30,000 foreign fighters who come from different states across the globe. The group is capable of carrying out its activities because based on the report by the United States’ National Counterterrorism Center ISIS has the capacity to generate at least $500 million in revenue mostly from smuggling oil and its products.

The U.S. perspective on eradicating extremism

Conversely, the U.S. feels that its involvement in eradicating extremism in Islamic nations aims at eradicating ISIS’ inhuman acts in Iraq and Syria. A report by Blanchard and Humud, for instance, indicates that extremists’ activities in Iraq have increased the number of people who need humanitarian help to 10 million by the end of August 2016. The operations by Islamic terror groups have also led to an influx of IDPs to 33 million while 277,000 refugees leave the country for safer regions every year. Anti-terror organizations in the U.S. such as the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) and the Interagency Threat Assessment Coordination Group (ITACG) raise fears that if the Islamic states that engage in warring activities have the freedom to act as they wish, more civilians will continue to suffer and the economy will stall. The teams in charge of suppressing the spread of terror also aspire to eradicate the radicalism that normally happens when someone decides to join ISIS and other terror groups. The process of radicalization according to Blanchard and Humud makes it difficult for a person to know the difference between good and bad.

ISIS attack motives and negative image of America

ISIS continues to attack western nations because of the negative attitude the terror group has on Americans as well as other nations that are dominated by whites. A writing by Sarton indicate that ISIS feels that the U.S., through the dispersal of its troops to Islamic states such as Iraq and Iran, wants to take dominance of the Middle East by seizing any group that tries to fight to the region’s freedom. The U.S., on the other hand, continues with its invasion in Islamic nations with the belief that regular missions will create stability in regions such as Afghanistan and Iraq where terror attacks are common and the government lacks proper mechanisms to prevent the actions of insurgent groups. Members of ISIS feel by invading Islamic states and creating tension among citizens, the US denies the governments and individuals in Islamic countries the right to govern their own affairs in the same way other it happens in other regions. ISIS, based on a statement by Malsin, continues to carry out its attacks on western countries as a way of expressing their displeasure in White forces’ powers in Islamic nations. Western nations including the U.S. may consider withdrawing their troops from war-torn nations but that may create more chances for groups such as ISIS to carry out their heinous acts.

Economic factors and discrimination

Secondly, ISIS feels that the America’s government and its structure discriminate persons who belong to minor groups and deny them the opportunity to prosper which make them develop rebellious attitudes. Libby for example, feels that many non-Muslims become rebellious and opts to join due to lack of job opportunities. Libby points out that a person would prefer to engage in extremism if he can make some income instead of leading a miserable life. Members of ISIS have the feeling that white Americans practice racial discrimination which drives many non-native Americans to extremists’ acts. The group, for instance, feel that Muslims get little opportunity to engage in lucrative job positions the same way as white Americans. Members of ISIS, who strongly adhere to the Islamic religion, also have the feeling that the American society permits some actions that are contrary to human ethical practice. The group, for instance, views acts such as lesbianism and homosexuality which are practicable in the U.S. as being contrary to how individuals should live. The individuals who belong to ISIS and have such feelings may decide to carry out a heinous act that may generate the attention of the entire society such as massacre killing.

ISIS perception of the Islamic religion and its opposition to the U.S.

ISIS has a negative attitude towards America because of the belief that the Whites have no respect for the Islamic religion and its ideologies. Morell informs that Muslim is the fastest-growing religion in the globe though its connection with terror activities exposes it stiff opposition in many countries, particularly in areas dominated by whites. Members of extremist groups such as ISIS who carry out their terror acts in the name of religion put the religion and its believers at the forefront of criticism by several nations that dislike the actions by the illegal groupings. The stiff opposition Muslims and the religion faces, especially in the US and other white nations, give ISIS the impression that Americans hate the Islamic religion which prompts the group to carry out further attacks on non-Muslims. Affiliates of ISIS feel that every religion should have equal opportunity to express its ideologies, and that every individual has the freedom to choose the religion that suits them.

The ongoing conflict between ISIS and the U.S.

The differences that exist between ISIS and the U.S. give an indication that the two sides have always held differing opinions and may still have differences in the coming years if measures are not put in place to eradicate the misunderstandings. Dexter implies that the fight between Muslims and Christians has occurred since ancient times when explorers of Islamic background experienced obstacles in their quest for more opportunities in white-dominated areas. The war between Muslims and Christians, which now exists for thousands of years, gives an indication that the two religions may continue with the fights in the future. The trend of the misunderstanding between the two groups shows that ISIS may continue to carry out more attacks on the U.S. unless the opposing sides come to an agreement.

Analysis

ISIS manages to put stiff opposition to the U.S. due to the local and external structures it has in place which support its activities. Apart from the idea that the group acquires huge amounts of revenue from its sale of smuggled oil and its products, ISIS receives support from local citizens who have similar ideologies about the U.S. The group also acquires the opportunity to generate adequate funds to execute its operations from extortion, looting, kidnaps, and bank robberies among other activities that would lead to the attainment of large sums of money. The group further enjoys external support from nations in the Middle East such as Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The Arabian nations support the undertakings by ISIS with the belief that the struggle will create equal opportunities for Muslims. Persian nations first offered money to the group without any fears, more so when the call to remove Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad intensified.

ISIS attacks on the U.S. and prevention measures

ISIS has made several attempts to hit the US even though the implications have not led to devastating effects such as the one that was witnessed in the 9/11. A new convert to ISIS in October 2014 managed to attack two security officers with a hatchet. The occurrence led to the death of a civilian after falling victim to the police’s gunshot who was trying to reach the attacker. Claims later emerged that the ISIL member sought to demonstrate his anger against the U.S. police officers who carry out their activities with utter discrimination. Two ISIL affiliates later in May 2015 attacked security officers with gunfire at an exhibition show organized for children. Even though the attackers only injured a single officer while they ended up dying, they passed a message on how the group views the American police. The most recent attack was on November 2016 when an ISIL affiliate (Abdul Razak) openly stabbed people and ran over others using a car. The suspect was shot after he injured eleven people and this instance, just like the others, expressed the group’s displeasure in some forms of actions in the American society. The successful attacks by ISIS inform US groups that seek to protect the country from threat on the importance of coming up with quick solutions to the situation which may get out of hand.

Prevention and improved security measures

Even though ISIS has successfully launched attacks on the U.S., some attempts failed and security officials attribute the prevention to improved security surveillance systems. Members of the intelligence unit in collaboration with the police arrested Mohamed Hamzeh on January 25, 2016, after the forces received information that the ISIL member planned to conduct a mass shooting at a Masonic temple that would kill dozens of people. The presiding judge said that Hamzeh intended to commit the action with the motive of defending Islam in a land where people view the religion as a threat to humanity. It is alleged that the terror suspect warned the jury and everybody present in the court of an impending fight that would create enmity between nations and religions. The police successfully managed to counter the attack but it is evident that ISIL expressed its discomfort in the way Americans view Muslims and their religion. The police witnessed a similar case on November 21, 2016, when they managed to apprehend Mohammed Naji who legally stays in the US but has his origins in Yemen. Naji had assorted weapons at his home which the police impounded after getting a hint of the secretive plan. It is also believed that the terrorist aimed at expressing his displeasure in the way the US views and treats Muslims.

Conclusion

People should have knowledge of how ISIS views the U.S. to be able to come up with measures that would prevent further contrast. Otherwise, the failure to take actions in good time will widen ISIS’ view that Americans hate Muslims and the religion and the group may go ahead to carry out serious attacks. Members of ISIS also hold to the belief that the constant attacks the US holds in Islamic states undermine the sovereignty of these states and the U.S. should not have the power to dictate what happens in other nations.

Bibliography

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Dexter, Filkins. “Wider War”. The New Yorker, vol. 90, no. 17, 2014, pp. 54-66.

Libby, Brigitte. “Moons, Smoke, and Mirrors in Apuleius’ Portrayal of ISIS.” The American Journal of Philosophy, vol. 132, no. 2, 2011, pp. 301-322.

Malsin, Jared. “Iraq’s Fight for Survival.” Time, vol. 188, no. 1, 2016, pp. 34-37.

Morell, Michael. The Gathering Threat. Time, vol. 185, no. 19, 2015, p. 20-25.

Sarton, George. “Why ISIS?” ISIS, vol. 44, no. 3, 2008, pp. 232-242.

Sawar, Kashmeri. “No Dog in this Fight”. U.S. News & World Report, 2015, 1.

The Economist. “A War Crosses National Boundaries: Iraq, Syria, and the Islamic State.” The Economist, vol. 412, no. 8901, 2014, pp. 63.

Yair, Galily and Yarchi Moran. “The Boston Game and the ISIS Match: Terrorism, Media, and Sport.” The American Behavioral Scientist, vol. 60, no. 9, 2016, pp. 1057-1060.