About the author
Phyllis Bennis is a Fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies and of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. She writes and speaks widely on US wars and foreign policy and is the author of numerous books, including Inside Israel-Palestine: the conflict explained (New Internationalist). She plays a leading role in US and global movements against wars and occupation.
About the New Internationalist
New Internationalist is an award-winning, independent media co-operative. Our aim is to inform, inspire and empower people to build a fairer, more sustainable planet.
We publish a global justice magazine and a range of books, both distributed worldwide. We have a vibrant online presence and run ethical online shops for our customers and other organizations.
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ISIS and Syria
The new global war on terror
Published in 2016 in an updated edition by
New Internationalist Publications Ltd
The Old Music Hall
106-108 Cowley Road
Oxford OX4 1JE, UK
newint.org
First published in North America in 2015 as ‘Understanding ISIS and the New Global War on Terror: A Primer’ by Interlink Books, 46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA, 01060-1804, USA.
interlinkbooks.com
© Phyllis Bennis
The right of Phyllis Bennis to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing of the Publisher.
Cover design: Juha Sorsa
Design concept: Andrew Smith, asmithcompany.co.uk
Series editor: Chris Brazier
Series design: Juha Sorsa
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
(ISBN ebook 978-1-78026-313-7)
Contents
Introduction
1 ISIS
How did the 2003 invasion of Iraq affect the growth of ISIS?
Who is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and what was his role in the rise of ISIS?
Did the US troop surge in 2008 diminish sectarian fighting?
How did ISIS begin to expand beyond Iraq?
Is there any precedent for the barbaric violence perpetrated by ISIS?
What are the motives and root causes underlying the ISIS tactic of public execution?
What is Wahhabism? Why is it relevant to understanding ISIS?
Did ISIS emerge because Obama pulled troops out of Iraq?
Where does ISIS get its money from?
How does ISIS treat women and what is the role of women within the organization?
How did ISIS suddenly become so powerful? Why didn’t anyone see it coming?
Is the typical ISIS fighter a Muslim of Middle Eastern descent?
2 The global war on terror
What is the ‘global war on terror’?
What is terrorism?
What are the implications of the world’s inability to agree on a definition of terrorism?
How did the fight against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan shift to Iraq?
What were the consequences of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein?
3 The new global war on terror
What were the origins of the ‘new’ global war on terror?
How did the overthrow of Qadafi in Libya lead to ongoing conflict there?
What was the significance of the fall of Mosul?
How effective have the Obama administration’s strategies been in this new war?
What was behind the US decision to escalate its direct military involvement in Middle East conflicts in 2014?
How did the US justify its return of troops to Syria and Iraq?
Have US airstrikes stemmed the growth of ISIS and al-Qaeda?
Are drones