The Isis Crisis

With the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham still on the rampage and at the top of the U.S. national security agenda, we at Foreign Affairs have put together this companion eBook to Endgame in Iraq, in which our authors carefully examine the nature of the ISIS threat, the current state of the war against it, and the options for what to do next. Bringing together a collection of our best coverage of the subject from both print and Web, The ISIS Crisis offers an unparalleled range of authoritative analysis on everything from the group’s ideology, strategy, and internal characteristics; to its operations across the Middle East and elsewhere; to the difficult tradeoffs involved in trying to halt and reverse its advance. The collection concludes with a fascinating survey of expert opinion on whether Washington should step up its anti-ISIS military campaign, in which 73 of the world’s most knowledgeable observers offer their personal take on the question. We can’t promise that after reading all this, you’ll know exactly what to do. But we can promise that you’ll have the information you need to think about the question intelligently.

With ISIS on the rise, what do we need to know? ISIS—a name that inspires fear, a group that is gaining momentum. Horrors unheard of are plaguing the Middle East, and ISIS may be responsible for the worst among them. And yet there is so much we don’t know about ISIS: Where did ISIS come from? How is ISIS distinguished from other terrorist groups? Could ISIS play a role in the end times? What does ISIS mean for Israel? What impact could these events have on the United States? How should believers respond? In The ISIS Crisis, authors Charles Dyer and Mark Tobey answer these questions and more. Drawing from history, current events, and biblical prophecy, they guide readers through the matrix of conflicts in the Middle East. Then they explore the role of ISIS in all of these matters. Finally, they encourage Christians to look to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

With the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham still on the rampage and at the top of the U.S. national security agenda, we at "Foreign Affairs" have put together this companion eBook to "Endgame in Iraq," in which our authors carefully examine the nature of the ISIS threat, the current state of the war against it, and the options for what to do next. Bringing together a collection of our best coverage of the subject from both print and Web, "The ISIS Crisis" offers an unparalleled range of authoritative analysis on everything from the group's ideology, strategy, and internal characteristics; to its operations across the Middle East and elsewhere; to the difficult tradeoffs involved in trying to halt and reverse its advance. The collection concludes with a fascinating survey of expert opinion on whether Washington should step up its anti-ISIS military campaign, in which 73 of the world's most knowledgeable observers offer their personal take on the question. We can't promise that after reading all this, you'll know exactly what to do. But we can promise that you'll have the information you need to think about the question intelligently.

Book Description: The Islamic State is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group that has expanded its control over areas of northwestern Iraq and northeastern Syria since 2013, threatening the security of both countries and drawing increased attention from the international community. There is debate over the degree to which the Islamic State organization might represent a direct terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland or to U.S. facilities and personnel in the region. This book addresses select legal questions raised by the use of military force against IS. Questions addressed in this book include potential sources (and limitations) of presidential authority to use military force against the Islamic State without congressional authorization; the potential relevance of the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq and the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force; the applicability of the United Nations Charter to ongoing U.S. military strikes in Iraq and any prospective strikes against IS forces in Syria; and the constraints imposed by the War Powers Resolution upon U.S. military action that has not been authorized by Congress.

The Islamic State is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group that has expanded its control over areas of north-western Iraq and north-eastern Syria since 2013, threatening the security of both countries and drawing increased attention from the international community. There is debate over the degree to which the Islamic State organisation might represent a direct terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland or to U.S. facilities and personnel in the region. This book addresses select legal questions raised by the use of military force against IS. Questions addressed in this book include potential sources (and limitations) of presidential authority to use military force against the Islamic State without congressional authorisation; the potential relevance of the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq and the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force; the applicability of the United Nations Charter to ongoing U.S. military strikes in Iraq and any prospective strikes against IS forces in Syria; and the constraints imposed by the War Powers Resolution upon U.S. military action that has not been authorised by Congress.

The Kurdistan region of Iraq is facing an economic and humanitarian crisis as a result of the influx of Syrian refugees which began in 2012 and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 2014. The region's population increased by 28 percent over a short period, placing strains on the local economy, host community, and access to public services. This book provides national and regional policy makers with a technical assessment of the impact and stabilization costs needed for 2015 associated with the influx of refugees and IDPs. The stabilization cost for 2015 is estimated at US$1.4 billion in additional spending above and beyond the region's budget. This estimate could significantly increase should the crisis persist longer. The study highlights how prices and unemployment have increased, and refugees and IDPs entering the labor market are pushing wages down. A surge in violence led to supply side shocks. The ISIS crisis has had a significant effect on trade of goods and services. Transportation routes were disrupted. Foreign direct investment flows have declined and operations of foreign enterprises have been adversely affected. Disruption of public investment projects have had a negative impact on the economy. Based on the World Bank estimates, economic growth contracted by 5 percentage points in the region and the poverty rate more than doubled, rising from 3.5 percent to 8.1 percent. While the government has been responsive to addressing the needs of the displaced population up until now, more resources are needed to avert this humanitarian crisis and address the needs of the displaced population in the medium- and long-term. The report is an outcome of close collaboration between a wide spectrum of World Bank experts and regional government institutions and international partners.

"This publication is meant to clarify to the world that the message and actions of the group called ISIS are not Islamic. For the Muslim, not to be sympathetic or supportive to this group. For the non-Muslim, not to generalize and promote hate against the one billion Muslims who are in no way affiliated to ISIS."--

This book focuses on the crises facing Al Qaeda and how the mass killing of Muslims is challenging its credibility as a leader among Islamist jihadist organizations. The book argues that these crises are directly related to Al Qaeda’s affiliation with the extreme violence employed against Muslims in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the decade since 9/11. Al Qaeda’s public and private responses to this violence differ greatly. While in public Al Qaeda has justified those attacks declaring that, for the establishment of a state of ‘true believers’, they are a necessary evil, in private Al Qaeda has been advising its local affiliates to refrain from killing Muslims. To better understand the crises facing Al Qaeda, the book explores the development of Central Al Qaeda’s complex relationship with radical (mis)appropriations and manifestations of takfir, which allows one Muslim to declare another an unbeliever, and its unique relationship with each of its affiliates in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The author then goes on to consider how the prominence of takfir is contributing to the deteriorating security in those countries and how this is affecting Al Qaeda’s credibility as an Islamist terror organization. The book concludes by considering the long-term viability of Al Qaeda and how its demise could allow the rise of the even more radical, violent Islamic State and the implications this has for the future security of the Middle East, North Africa and Central/South Asia. This book will be of much interest to students of political violence and terrorism, Islamism, global security and IR.