Has ISIS Been Defeated? The Future and Further Development of ISIS

Résumé ou Introduction

This paper analyses if the terrorist organization ISIS has really been defeated. A lot of politicians, journalist, authors and scientists say simply no, because regardless of what happens to ISIS, this ideology (jihadi-salafism) still persists. The Caliphate has been destroyed but the ISIS ideology is still everywhere. Firstly the root cause for rising ISIS is analysed. Secondly, the starting point of ISIS as well as the further development of ISIS and its aims is evaluated. Furthermore, the research question if ISIS has been defeated, is discussed. And lastly, the future of this terrorist organization is considered.

The Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is the world’s most dangerous, terrorist organization that follows the ideology of Salafist Jihadist groups, which fight in the name of Islam by creating an Islamic state in the world. President Donald Trump tweeted on 19th December 2018 that the U.S. would withdraw its troops from Syria, claiming the Islamic State terror group had been defeated and that there was no longer a reason to deploy U.S. forces in the war-torn nation.

The ISIS terror group organization changed its name several times. Al Baghdadi created the current name of ISIS as he took leadership of the Islamic state in 2010. Abu Baker al-Baghdadi took advantage of the outbreak of the crisis in neighbouring Syria in 2011 to move there and expand in 2013. His goal was to seize Syrian territory and connect it to Iraq. It was first and foremost an extension of the global Salafi-jihadist movement.