Islamic States

Islamic state (IS) is now a global threat and alarming face of Jihadist Spring mostly in Iraq and
Syria. The extremist believe their past glory could be come back only through the way of
Jihad.
Snatching survival from the Jaws of defeat
Abu Musal al-Zarqiwi played driving role of insurgency early 2000s but their reputation severely
damaged prior to USAs departure from Iraq. Because of the zealotry & brutality of Jihadist, US
sponsored Sunni tribal Awakening mostly destroy Al Qaeda in Iraq. Three factors how Jihadist
able to recover from Awakening. First, Iraqi discriminatory and divisive government failed to
integrate Iraqi Sunni into political steam and align to Awakening and that helped Jihadist to
revive and ensuring their continuity in Iraq as well as ensuring continued sectarian division in
Iraq. Second, Washington committed with Sunni for durable political settlement after war but
failed. Post 2011, policy changes in Libya and Syria and Obama administration didnt want to
involve in Iraq anymore and their dilatory policy towards Iraq didnt contributed much AlMalikis backsliding. Finally, the disintegration of Syrian government and civil war create huge
opportunity for Jihadist to conciliate and to gain battlefield experiences. Jihadist seized oil wells
and get independent resources that make them more dangerous.
The multi dimensional IS challenges
After breaking Al Qaeda, IS Emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadis declared reviving of caliphate and IS
appeared as the most dangerous jihadist terrorist entity. IS creates challenges from different
perspectives. These are following1. Holding Sunni-majority areas of Iraq as well as success in Syria, IS increases
immense self confidence of Al Qaeda leadership.
2. Regionally, IS has challenged the legitimacy order of two levels. One, IS attempting
to expand in Syria and Iraq which is a challenge for the territorial dispensation.
Second, IS propaganda reflects in Al-Baghdadis declaration to leadership of the
worlds Muslims is a direct challenges for the legitimacy of Saudi monarchy.

3. Todays world is the system of sovereign states rather than system of religious
authority. But IS follows Al-Qaeda and significant challenges for these global
foundational order because they ignore sovereignty of a state.

Mission accomplished- now what?

IS is learning from their mistakes and rapidly exploiting chaos. In the recent time, Jihadist
remains a potent threat to global peace and security. They show that jihadist extremists are silent
enemies. Even there exists conflict in the ideology of different group of Muslim jihadist. Clashes
over ego and ideology have long plagued the jihadist demi-monde, and will only escalate
following al Baghdadis assertion of caliphate authority. Despite their pretensions towards global
Islamic solidarity, jihadists also have long been deeply divided by nationalist sentiments. As IS
cannibalises Al Qaeda affiliates, these tendencies towards entropy will likely worsen. Financial
autonomy makes IS as a major source of regional destabilization. Today IS reaches at mission
accomplished moment. Now, IS jihadists not only confined to Iraq but also further expansion to
non-Sunni majority countries. IS wants to curve a clearly defined territory for sustainable
political Caliphates rule if it can achieve the capacities to rule a nation and able to develop fiscal
and administrative capacities.
Indeed, IS harnessing infrastructure of globalization by following bin Ladens ideology. They are
the threat for global peace and security. They may reborn but it may prove its undoing. IS is
likely to find that it is far harder to rule than it is to conquer.