ISIS insurgency in Iraq and Syria

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The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), is a Sunni offshoot of al-Qaeda. One of the goal's of the terrorist organization is to create a new Islamic state, free of the leadership of the region's Shiite governments.^[1] After ISIS took control of large portions of both Iraq and Syria, the United States, under orders from President Barack Obama (D) first ordered support troops be sent to Iraq in order to help coordinate defenses around Baghdad and secure American locations in the region. The first bombing raid in Iraq by the U.S. began on August 8, 2014, and international coalition air strikes expanded to cover Syria on September 23, 2014. The administration and Congress also agreed to allocate additional funding to train Syrian rebels to prevent American and coalition troops from having to engage in combat.

In an effort to dissuade western countries from getting involved, ISIS members released public videos of three beheadings, including two Americans, James Foley and Steven Sotloff. The third was David Haines, a British aid worker.

Background[edit]

Following the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, the Iraqi security forces were not well-trained or well-equipped to fight ISIS, which had grown in power due to their actions in the civil war in neighboring Syria. In 2012, former spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq Major General Jeffrey Buchanan said, "[I]f the Iraqi security forces are not able to put pressure on them, they could regenerate." ISIS' recruiting methods were made easier due to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's use of power in suppressing Sunni dissent and taking political prisoners.^[2] In 2014, following a period of poor relations with ISIS, al-Qaeda disowned the group after more than a decade of cooperation.^[3]

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi took control of the group in 2010. Baghdadi spent four years in a U.S. insurgent prison from 2005 to 2009 for his ties to al-Qaeda, creating valuable connections with fellow prisoners before joining and then leading ISIS. When he first took control of the group, it was operated in a way similar to organized crime syndicates, staying spread out and layered, to stay protected. However, over time ISIS grew into a larger operation which took control of large territories. By taking and holding territory, ISIS was able to increase their manpower, capture military bases that provided them with weaponry, and take money from captured banks. ISIS was also able to obtain money through wealthy donors throughout the region.^[2]

The goal of ISIS was to create an Islamic state for Sunni Muslims where Sharia law could be enforced, uniting parts of Iraq and Syria where the Sunni minorities live. The Soufan Group, a political risk consultant firm, stated, "ISIS has become indisputably the most effective and ruthless terrorist organization in the world."^[2]

Civilian death toll[edit]

The United Nations estimated that between January 1, 2014, and June 30, 2014, more than 5,500 civilians were killed and more than 11,000 were injured in the ISIS offensive. In 2013, 7,800 civilians were killed in the conflict. Another 1.2 million Iraqis were forced from their homes at the time of the report. The report also examined the "systematic and egregious violations" of international law and war crimes including sexual violence, kidnappings, murders, and attacks on religious worship locations.^[4]

Timeline[edit]

See also: ISIS insurgency timeline

The following is a basic timeline of events throughout the ISIS insurgency in Iraq and Syria, including events in two countries as well as American responses to those events. For a complete explanation of events, visit the ISIS insurgency timeline page.

Legal authority for air strikes[edit]

On September 12, 2014, it was reported that the Obama administration believed both the 2001 authorization of force against those responsible for the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent 2002 authorization for the war in Iraq were enough to avoid the hurdle posed by the War Powers Act. Under the War Powers Act, any military actions not approved by Congress within 60 days, must halt at the close of that period. The Iraq resolution, in particular, provided statutory authority for air strikes. A senior administration official explained, "The president may rely on the 2001 A.U.M.F. as statutory authority for the military airstrike operations he is directing. As we have explained, the 2002 Iraq A.U.M.F. would serve as an alternative statutory authority basis on which the president may rely for military action in Iraq. Even so, our position on the 2002 A.U.M.F. hasn’t changed and we’d like to see it repealed."^[31]

Some members of Congress said that the president did not have the authority to carry out the missile strikes. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said, "People have some legitimate questions. We ought to ask the questions before we get involved, rather than, you know, once we're in the middle of something." In July 2014, McGovern introduced a resolution that prevented the president from deploying or maintaining U.S. forces “in a sustained combat role in Iraq without specific statutory authorization for such use.” The resolution passed by a vote of 370-40.^[32]

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said, “If this Congress is not careful, it will be as guilty as previous Congresses – which go all the way back to the '60's and the Gulf of Tonkin resolution – in giving away our constitutional authority to the White House. It's not about the president, it is about the precedent.” The following members of Congress also supported a vote: Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Jim McDermott (D-Wash.). ^[32]

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) did not support a vote, explaining, "Hopefully, we don't have to go beyond what the president is doing now [and] we don't need that vote. But we stand ready to have that discussion."^[32]

Coalition members[edit]

On September 10, 2014, the Saudi Arabian government agreed to host Syrian rebels in order to train and equip them for the fight against ISIS. President Obama asked Congress for $500 million to fund the training and equipment. A senior administration official stated, "We certainly are challenging members of Congress to put aside their partisan affiliations and give the president the authority he needs."^[33]

The administration chose retired Marine General John Allen to lead and coordinate the coalition forces fighting ISIS. He was previously the top American commander in Afghanistan, and he served in Iraq prior to that. When asked about ISIS in an August 2014 interview, Allen said, "What we’re facing in northern Iraq is only partly a crisis about Iraq. It is about the region and potentially the world as we know it."^[34]

On September 15, 2014, the Obama administration announced that there would be no military coordination with Iran in regard to the coalition's plan to destroy ISIS. A State Department official explained, "I am not going to outline every diplomatic discussion. But we are not and will not coordinate militarily. We will be continuing those talks on the nuclear issue later this week in New York. There may be another opportunity on the margins in the future to discuss Iraq." Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke out against the coalition, stating, "American officials' comments on forming an anti-Islamic State (alliance) are blank, hollow and self-serving, and contradictions in their behaviours and statements attest to this fact."^[35]

• On September 13, 2014, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott agreed to provide aircraft and military advisers to the effort, but he stated that no ground forces would be provided.^[36]

• Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi pledged to continue fighting ISIS and halt indiscriminate bombings of areas held by the group in an effort to regain the trust of Sunni Muslims who were previously alienated from the government.^[37]

ISIS cash flow cutoff[edit]

On September 13, 2014, The New York Times reported that the Obama administration was attempting to cut off the flow of cash to ISIS by talking with the Turkish government. ISIS, one of the most well-funded terrorist groups in history, established a system of sending Iraqi oil across the border to Turkey where the oil was sold on the black market. Turkish government officials said that they could not openly be involved in the fight against ISIS because the group held 49 Turkish diplomats hostage in Iraq. The government also turned down the opportunity to sign a resolution in Saudi Arabia condemning ISIS under the same pretext. A senior adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) commented on the difficult situation posed by Turkey's lack of action, stating, "Turkey in many ways is a wild card in this coalition equation. It’s a great disappointment: There is a real danger that the effort to degrade and destroy ISIS is at risk. You have a major NATO ally, and it is not clear they are willing and able to cut off flows of funds, fighters and support to ISIS." The Obama administration did not rule out bombing the oil shipments while they were on the way to Turkey.^[38]

Estimates on the amount of oil produced by Iraqi wells ranged from 25,000 to 40,000 barrels per day, which could have resulted in as much as $2 million in return on the black market. In addition to the oil smuggling, ISIS imposed taxes on businesses in their territories between 10 and 20 percent of their daily profits, which was estimated to be worth as much as $1 million per day.^[38] A September 11, 2014, estimate by the Central Intelligence Agency placed between 20,000 and 31,500 members of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The numbers were higher than the previous estimate of 10,000, with the group's successes in the two countries helping recruitment.^[39]

Costs[edit]

Starting on June 15, 2014, military operations in Iraq cost an average of $7.5 million per day, according to an August 29, 2014, report by the Pentagon press secretary. The spokesperson commented on the $562 million price tag on the operation to that point, saying, "As our [operational tempo] and our activities have intensified, so, too, has the cost. It changes every day."^[40]

Possible ramifications[edit]

Three nations[edit]

Kurdish defenders of northern Iraq believed the country was on track to split back into three territories, as it was prior to the British uniting the territories into modern day Iraq. One colonel, defending the makeshift border, stated, "When the British set up this country in the 1920s they didn't do a good job. Before they were three provinces – Baghdad, Mosul and Basra. I think it will be three provinces again. History will go back to its original format." The Kurdish forces attempted to claim the territory where their people, as well as Christians, Yazidis, Turkmens and Arabs, lived, along with oil-rich locations in the area. On July 11, 2014, they announced their withdrawal from the Iraqi government, choosing instead to attempt to defend their own borders from the ISIS threat.^[41]

Involvement in Syria[edit]

Because ISIS was making advances in both Iraq and Syria, the Obama administration did not rule out air strikes in Syria in an effort to rid the Middle East of ISIS. Surveillance flights began on August 26, 2014, over Syria to get a grasp on the group's pressure in the country. While bombings of ISIS locations in Syria would potentially help Syrian Prime Minister Bashar al-Assad in his regime's civil war, administration officials were quick to point out that no alliances would be made. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, "We are not interested in trying to help the Assad regime." British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond reiterated Earnest's statement, explaining, "We may very well find that we are fighting, on some occasions, the same people that [Assad] is but that doesn't make us his ally. It would not be practical, sensible or helpful to even think about going down that route."^[21]

Assad's foreign minister warned the United States about unauthorized air strikes, claiming, "Any strike which is not coordinated will be considered as aggression." President Obama met with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey on August 25, 2014, to discuss the possibilities of expanding the air strikes into Syria. Dempsey said, "Can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organisation which resides in Syria? The answer is no. That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a nonexistent border."^[21] The Free Syrian Army also warned the United States against conducting air strikes. They said that the air strikes would do too little and only agitate ISIS. A spokesperson explained, "Airstrikes against ISIS inside Syria will not be helpful. Airstrikes will not get rid of ISIS. Airstrikes are like just tickling ISIS."^[42]

As of August 25, 2014, ISIS had taken over three Syrian military bases, including an air base. ISIS also held the entire province of Raqqa, which borders Turkey.^[43]

On September 10, 2014, President Obama announced permission for the bombing of ISIS locations in Syria. According to the New York Times, on September 13, 2014, Obama said that if American fighter planes were fired upon by the Assad regime, the United States would proceed to bomb all of Syria's ground-to-air missile defense systems, and Assad would possibly be forced out of his leadership position.^[25][44]

DOJ local counterterrorism program[edit]

On a September 15, 2014, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the U.S. Department of Justice was teaming up with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and the National Counterterrorism Center to form a program that would provide local religious and civic leaders the ability to provide information about religious extremists who were possibly involved in terrorist activities. Holder said, "We have established processes for detecting American extremists who attempt to join terror groups abroad. And we have engaged in extensive outreach to communities here in the U.S. — so we can work with them to identify threats before they emerge, to disrupt homegrown terrorists, and to apprehend would-be violent extremists."^[45]

While the number of Americans fighting alongside ISIS was unknown as of September 15, 2014, two were confirmed dead from air strikes in Iraq, with total estimates ranging from 12 to 100.^[45]

Congress approves funding to arm and train Syrian rebels[edit]

On September 15, 2014, House Republicans announced that a stopgap funding bill would include funding to train and arm Syrian rebel forces. The bill, produced by the House Armed Services Committee, focused on tracking the number of trainees and weapons, how well the trainees performed on the battlefield, and whether the trainees had terrorist ties. Whether or not they had terrorist ties would not have excluded a person from being trained because it would make it more difficult to recruit trainees. It also laid out the type of equipment that would be provided to the rebels. An aide commented on the arms, stating that the U.S. was providing them for the purpose of being "effective on the ground but not equipping them to be a long-term threat to the U.S. and its allies."^[46]

The legislation required Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to provide 15 days notice prior to the start of the program and give Congress full reports every 90 days. Because the bill was a stopgap funding bill, the funding provided by it was set to end on either December 11, 2014, or when the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act was passed. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest commented on the administration's push to get Congress to pass the bill, stating, "We’ve seen public statements from Democrats and Republicans in senior positions both in the House and the Senate indicate that they support giving the administration the necessary authority to ramp up our assistance to the Syrian opposition by training and equipping them. So we’re gratified by that show of bipartisan public support for this urgent priority."^[46][47]

On September 17, 2014, the amendment to the stopgap continuing resolution to arm and train Syrian rebels passed in the House by a vote of 273-156. While the majorities of both parties voted in support of the bill's passage, 85 Democrats and 71 Republicans voted against the measure. On September 18, 2014, it passed the Senate by a vote of 78-22. The following senators voted against the bill:^[48][49][50]

Visa waiver program[edit]

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) questioned whether members of ISIS could come to the U.S. by using western passports. He said, "The biggest fear is that there are 10,000 to 12,000 foreign fighters that have joined ISIS and various estimates but many of them have Western passports. They're either American or they're Western European passports. So they can come here to the United States homeland without a visa. And they can bring ... what they've learned about bomb-making and about assassinations with them here at home."^[51] The visa waiver program, run by the U.S. Department of State, was designed to draw high-spending foreigners to the United States for visits. Responding to Thornberry's concerns, White House deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes, claimed, "For Americans in the homeland, I think what we'd say is we monitor very closely whether or not [ISIS] will seek to develop plots that are aimed at the West, aimed at beyond this geographic area where they have been operating."^[52]

A bill introduced by Reps. Joe Heck (R-Nev.) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) proposed expanding the visa waiver program, which covered visitors from more than 36 countries, to include more South American countries, European countries, and Israel. They wrote in a February 2014 op-ed, "Each overseas visitor spends an average of nearly $4,500 per trip to the U.S., adding nearly $130 billion to the economy in 2012. One American job is created for every 33 international visitors—meaning over one million domestic jobs were supported by inbound travel in 2012. [The Visa Waiver Program] expansion itself has a proven, immediate and marked economic benefit; in the year after the program was expanded to South Korea, spending in the U.S. by visitors from that affluent country more than tripled, according to a forthcoming study from the U.S. Travel Association."^[52]

Syrian bombing permission[edit]

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) announced on September 2, 2014, that he would propose a piece of legislation allowing President Obama permission to begin bombing key ISIS locations in Syria. Nelson's proposal was the first aimed at permitting the administration to use air strikes in Syria. Nelson commented on the proposal, stating, "This will ensure there’s no question that the president has the legal authority he needs to use airstrikes in Syria. We must go after ISIS right away because the U.S. is the only one that can put together a coalition to stop this group that’s intent on barbaric cruelty."^[53]

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) introduced a proposal on September 3, 2014, that would authorize the president's use of force against ISIS, as well as any other extremist terrorist groups in an effort to stop ISIS. Wolf said, "This resolution would provide clear authority for the president and our military, working with coalition partners, to go after these terrorists, whether in Syria, Iraq or elsewhere. We cannot continue operating on outdated authorities passed 13 years ago; it is time for this Congress to vote."^[54] Wolf also announced that he would propose legislation repealing the War Powers Resolution, replacing it with a requirement that the president only consult with Congress before taking military action requiring more than seven days. It would also require Congress to pass an approval resolution within 30 days.^[55]

Congressional approval of air strikes[edit]

Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle disagreed about the need to pass congressional approval of the administration's air strikes in Iraq, as well as any future strikes on ISIS. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) each stated on September 8, 2014, that gaining congressional approval was not necessary for the actions taken by President Barack Obama. Levin said, "I think the president has an abundant amount of authority to conduct operations. It would be good to have Congress on board. I don’t think the War Powers Act is constitutional. If Congress doesn’t like what he’s doing, we can always cut the money off." Some senators, including Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Rand Paul (D-Ky.), disagreed and continued to push for a vote. Paul argued, "It would show a disregard for the Constitution and for the history of our country."^[56]

Congressional leadership did not want to take quick action, bringing a vote to the floor, with one republican aide stating, "We want to wait and see what he’s going to say to the four leaders and what he’s going to say to the nation,” a GOP aide said. “How he lays out his strategy will determine how our guys and members of Congress respond.^[57] Reid backed up that sentiment, saying, "Tomorrow the president is addressing the nation. That doesn’t happen very often. On Thursday afternoon we’re having a briefing here from the administration on what’s going on in the Middle East. I’m going to wait and get the facts before I jump off into something that you read on the Internet someplace."^[58]

While some members in tighter re-election campaigns were wary of a vote prior to November elections, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) came out strongly in favor of the vote, even going so far as threatening to use a procedural workaround if House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) did not put a vote on the calendar. McGovern defended his threat, explaining, "We have boots on the ground, even though everybody says we don't want any boots on the ground. We're doing more than just protecting U.S. personnel on the ground. And when I read the newspapers, we're talking about a multi-year commitment. So there's a role for Congress in this, and we need to make sure that we don't … shirk our constitutional responsibility. And I think most people feel that way."^[59]

Strikes in Syria[edit]

The first air strikes on Syrian soil began September 23, 2014, in the Raqqa province, an ISIS stronghold. Department of Defense officials announced that 14 strikes were made in the region by a coalition of Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. While ISIS forces in Raqqa were the main target of the initial strikes, a secondary target was the Khorasan group, "a network of seasoned al-Qaida veterans" seeking to plot against Western interests.^[60]

The same day the strikes began, Turkey offered its support to the coalition in providing logistical or military support. The country previously could not engage in the anti-ISIS effort because ISIS held 46 political captives from the country, but the captives were freed September 20, 2014, allowing Turkey to assist the coalition. The action allowed the U.S. to make use of Turkey's air base near Syria. Additionally, Turkey announced that they would try to stop the funding of ISIS by tightening border security that previously allowed ISIS to trade oil on the black market on Turkish soil.^[61]

Citizenship and passport rejections[edit]

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and Ted Poe (R-Texas) all proposed bills aimed at revoking the passports and/or citizenship of anyone connected with ISIS or any other foreign terrorist organizations. Cruz introduced his bill on September 8, 2014, while Poe and Bachmann introduced their bill's to the House the following day. Bachmann said of her proposal, "Those who have joined a foreign terrorist organization have taken up arms against the United States and our very way of life. By turning against their country, their passports should be revoked and if they’re naturalized citizens, they should lose their citizenship."^[62]

Recent news[edit]

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See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

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