"Islamic State Begins To Functon As A State In Its ..." Topic

…Captured Territories.

"In northern Syria, the jihadists of the Islamic State have fixed power lines, dug sewage systems and painted sidewalks. In Raqqa, they search markets and slaughterhouses for expired food and sick animals. Farther south, in Deir al-Zour, they have imposed taxes on farmers and shopkeepers and fined men for wearing short beards.

The group runs regular buses across the border with Iraq to Mosul, where it publicly kills captives and trains children for guerrilla war. Last month, it reopened a luxury hotel in the city and offered three free nights to newlyweds, meals included.

A year after the Islamic State seized Mosul, and 10 months after the United States and its allies launched a campaign of airstrikes against it, the jihadist group continues to dig in, stitching itself deeper into the fabric of the communities it controls…"
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NO! I DON'T AGREE because a "government state" that follows the rules and laws of sharia while permitting the slavery of non-believers, sexual exploitation of captive women, the murder of gays, and the executions of captured enemy soldiers and/or religious/sectarian minorities is an organization whose foundation is inhuman in every lebel and way!

Amicalement
Armand

Hotels? Pah! The Nazi's used to have a holiday camp en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prora

And they too used to have all sorts of rules about who was and who wasn't a nazi and killed those who fell into the latter category*

Being inhuman in their treatment of enemy soldiers, jews, etc and the sexual exploitation of slaves has never – is seems – been a barrier to running a 'government' of sorts. The nazis were in power for a long time, and 'absorbed' other countries in their criminal 'state' (call it what you will) before anything was done about it.

It seems that the only lesson we learn from history is…

Well: none of you need me to complete that quote…

John T

* yep – I know I'm not pointing out anything that nobody doesn't already know. I just do wonder why we are surprised when a group of what appear to be nazis behave like nazis…

Yeah … Daesh needs to go the garbage can of histroy. Seems no one who should do it, like the locals for whatever reasons won't or can't. Egypt and Jordan said if the US supported them with log, intel, etc., they'd combine and go Daesh hunting. But too many in DC(and elsewhere ?) thought it might cause more sectarian violence between the Sunni [most of the region] and Shia [60% of Iraq and the Persians] … So Daesh is the lesser of many evils ? And like sectarian violence is not pretty much the norm anyway ? I would have risked it. Meantime … Daesh continues it's medieval reign of terror in biblical proportions. How many more will have to be tortured, enslaved, raped, die horrible deaths, etc. before the world makes terminating Daesh and all like them on the planet a #1 priority ?

Whether a nation is repugnant or not does not change its status as a nation. At this point, ISIS is more of a prolonged coup than a polity, but if it keeps going long enough that… thing… will eventually become and be recognized as a state, however wise or unwise that may be. If you look closely at the foundations of most nations, you will eventually find the most successful gang of brigands and oppressors, or at best vigilantes, lies at the foundation of the state.

I continue to hope ISIS will be put down like a mad dog, but they do exist, and with more credibility than the government they are displacing. That husk is essentially gone, to no effect and at great expense.

Agree with Intrepide's points.

At this point, they've controlled Mosul, the second biggest city in Iraq, for more than a year.

I continue to hope ISIS will be put down like a mad dog, but they do exist, and with more credibility than the government they are displacing.

I agree and yes, the failing Iraqi gov't among other things is the rub … And as I have said before. Whether they are considered terrorists, insurgents, a [rouge] state, etc., etc. … call them what you wish … they should be gone.

Are the trains running on time? The Nazis always managed to do that, especially when taking passengers to death camps.

Daesh like the Nazis should be in the archives of history …

I've pretty much resigned myself to the inevitability that ISIS will eventually attain some degree of statehood for the simple reason that the international community lacks the will to do what it takes to diminish, much less destroy them.

ISIS filled (at least partially) the power vacuum in Iraq after the fall of Saddam and we have to concede – however grudgingly – that it has proven itself to be a popular political movement with mass appeal in addition to being a well organized, resourceful and formidable fighting force that is far more effective and motivated than the "legitimate" Iraqi government and so-called "army" (INA) we have vainly flushed billions down the toilet to prop up, train and equip.

Sorry for being a pessimist, but ISIS's long-term viability and existence may be a fait accompli.