Are We Defeating ISIS?

The terrorist group ISIS first gained international attention in 2014, after capturing a vast area of land in Iraq and Syria. Since then, its followers have unleashed a wave of violence across the Middle East and inspired dozens of deadly attacks around the world, including in the United States and Europe. 

But now the group’s power is beginning to weaken. Experts say ISIS has lost about 60 percent of its territory in the past three years—from an estimated 35,000 square miles to just 14,000 square miles today. (See map, below.) In recent months, the U.S. and its allies have also killed top ISIS leaders and thousands of the group’s fighters.

The latest victory for the U.S. and its allies: the recent capture of Mosul, Iraq, the largest city held by ISIS. The terrorist organization had controlled the city since 2014, ­torturing villagers and ­massacring opponents.

The terrorist group ISIS first gained international attention in 2014. It captured a vast area of land in Iraq and Syria. Since then, its followers have unleashed a wave of violence across the Middle East. They have also inspired dozens of deadly attacks in the United States and Europe.

But now the group’s power is beginning to weaken. Experts say ISIS has lost about 60 percent of its territory in the past three years. It has gone from an estimated 35,000 square miles to just 14,000 square miles today. (See map, below.) Also, the U.S. and its allies have killed top ISIS leaders in recent months. They have killed thousands of the group’s fighters too.

The latest victory for the U.S. and its allies is the recent capture of Mosul, Iraq. That was the largest city held by ISIS. The terrorist organization had controlled the city since 2014. Its followers had been torturing villagers and violently killing opponents.

ISIS—short for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria—is the product of years of chaos in the Middle East. Its goal is to re-establish a state governed by strict Islamic law, known as a ­caliphate, like the ones that dominated the Middle East and North Africa in past centuries. It is also bent on destroying the ­West.

ISIS followers, who are radical Sunni ­Muslims, have long been engaged in a bitter rivalry with members of Islam’s other major sect, the Shia. That’s why ISIS sees the Shia-led governments of Iraq and Syria as enemies. 

In 2011, ISIS took advantage of the disorder in Syria—which had erupted into a civil war—and began seizing territory. 

In December 2013, the group turned its attention to Iraq, capturing a large part of the country and terrorizing people under its control. It publicly executed opponents, sold thousands into slavery, and forced Christians and other religious minorities to convert to Islam or face death. ISIS also imposed staggeringly high taxes and stole hundreds of millions of dollars from Iraq’s national bank. In June 2014, ISIS declared its conquered territory the new caliphate of the Islamic State. 

ISIS is short for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. It is a product of years of chaos in the Middle East. Its goal is to re-establish a state governed by strict Islamic law, known as a caliphate, like the ones that dominated the Middle East and North Africa in past centuries. It is also bent on destroying the West.

ISIS followers are radical Sunni Muslims. They have long been engaged in a bitter rivalry with members of Islam’s other major sect, the Shia. That is why ISIS sees the Shia-led governments of Iraq and Syria as enemies.

In 2011, the disorder in Syria erupted into a civil war. So ISIS took advantage and began seizing territory.

In December 2013, the group turned its attention back to Iraq. It captured a huge area of land and terrorized people under its control. It publicly executed opponents and sold thousands into slavery. It also forced Christians and other religious minorities to convert to Islam or face death. ISIS imposed shockingly high taxes as well, and stole hundreds of millions of dollars from Iraq’s national bank. In June 2014, ISIS declared its conquered territory the new caliphate of the Islamic State.

Soon after ISIS’s announcement, then-President Barack Obama ordered an aggressive bombing campaign in an attempt to cripple ISIS. Since then, an international coalition led by the U.S. has carried out more than 20,000 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and its allies also supply advisers, troops, and weapons to aid local forces ­battling ISIS on the ground. 

These and other efforts have been largely successful in driving ISIS from key regions. Today, experts say, the group’s mission of establishing an actual state is crumbling. 

In addition to ISIS losing territory, more than 60,000 of its fighters have been killed since June 2014, a loss of about 75 percent of the group’s armed forces, according to ­American officials.

Soon after ISIS’s announcement, then-President Barack Obama ordered an aggressive bombing campaign. This was an attempt to cripple ISIS. Since then, an international group of allies led by the U.S. has carried out more than 12,000 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq and 10,000 in Syria. The U.S. and its allies also supply advisers, troops, and weapons to help local forces battling ISIS on the ground.

These and other efforts have been largely successful in driving ISIS from key regions. Today, experts say, ISIS’s mission of establishing an actual state is crumbling.

In addition to ISIS losing territory, more than 60,000 of its fighters have been killed since June 2014. This is a loss of about 75 percent of the group’s armed forces, according to American officials.

Despite these critical victories, defeating ISIS for good won’t be easy. For one thing, the organization still controls a number of towns in Iraq and Syria and has gained a foothold in other countries, ­including the Philippines and Afghanistan. (See “Afghanistan: No End in Sight” sidebar, below.) 

ISIS also continues to attract recruits through a worldwide social media campaign that targets alienated Muslims—and motivates people to carry out deadly attacks in its name. In recent months, ISIS has inspired or organized attacks in Spain, the United ­Kingdom, Afghanistan, and other countries. 

The group has also claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in the U.S., including one last year at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people—the deadliest ­terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001.

Despite these critical victories, defeating ISIS for good will not be easy. For one thing, the organization still controls a number of towns in Iraq and Syria. It has also gained a foothold in countries such as the Philippines and Afghanistan. (See “Afghanistan: No End in Sight” sidebar, below.)

ISIS also continues to attract recruits through a worldwide social media campaign. The campaign targets alienated Muslims. It motivates people to carry out deadly attacks in its name. In recent months, ISIS has inspired attacks in Spain, the United Kingdom, Afghanistan, and other countries.

In the U.S., the group has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks. This includes one last year at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people. It was the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001.

Another major challenge in the fight against ISIS will be to rebuild—and stabilize—war-torn villages in Iraq and Syria so people can return home. That means repairing housing, creating jobs, restoring electricity, and establishing strong local governments—a massive undertaking that could take years.  

“When the fighting stops, the humanitarian crisis continues,” says Lise Grande of the United Nations. 

For example, the nine-month battle for control of Mosul left much of the city in ruins and millions of people without clean water or electricity. In addition, hundreds of women and children recently freed after being held captive by ISIS will likely require long-term medical care and rehabilitation.

There is also the question of whether U.S. troops will stay in Iraq and Syria to prevent ISIS—or another terrorist organization—from once again gaining ground. 

President Donald Trump is expected to send nearly 4,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, in part to help combat ISIS. That would raise the total number of U.S. forces stationed there to about 15,000. But whether—and for how long—the U.S. will maintain a military presence in Iraq or Syria remains unclear.  

For now, many people whose lives have been destroyed by ISIS are relieved that the group’s power is beginning to weaken.

“I am happy that [ISIS] is dying,” says Ahmed Abdul-Qadir, a native of Raqqa, Syria. “But the fear of what might come next is killing this ­happiness.” 

With reporting by The New York Times

Another major challenge in the fight against ISIS will be to rebuild and stabilize war-torn villages in Iraq and Syria. This is so people who were forced to move can return home. That means repairing housing, creating jobs, and restoring electricity. It also means establishing strong local governments. This will be a massive undertaking that could take years.

“When the fighting stops, the humanitarian crisis continues,” says Lise Grande of the United Nations.

For example, the nine-month battle for control of Mosul left much of the city in ruins. It left millions of people without clean water or electricity. In addition, hundreds of women and children were hurt from being held captive by ISIS. Recently freed, they will likely require long-term medical care and rehabilitation.

There is also the question of whether U.S. troops will stay in Iraq and Syria. They could stay to prevent ISIS or other terrorist groups from once again gaining ground.

President Donald Trump is expected to send nearly 4,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. This is in part to help fight ISIS. That would raise the total number of U.S. forces stationed there to about 15,000. But it is still unclear if the U.S. will maintain a military presence in Iraq or Syria, and if so, how long. 

For now, many people whose lives have been destroyed by ISIS are just relieved that the group’s power is beginning to weaken.

Ahmed Abdul-Qadir is a native of Raqqa, Syria. “I am happy that [ISIS] is dying,” he says. “But the fear of what might come next is killing this happiness.”

With reporting by The New York Times