"What Is the Islamic State Without a State?" Topic

"Each square mile lost chips away at ISIS's reason for being. As my colleague Graeme Wood wrote last year, "Caliphates cannot exist as underground movements, because territorial authority is a requirement." What exactly is the Islamic State, if the "state" all but disappears?…"

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Amicalement
Armand

The world's most brutal and effective terrorist organization?

Chapeaux mon ami!. (big smile)

Amicalement
Armand

@The world's most brutal and effective terrorist organization?@

I thought that was Goldman Saachs

A large group of war criminals?

A jar?

Islamic?

I've always considered them brutal terrorists. Did they ever really stand a chance of becoming a viable state?

Yes, terrorists … of the lowest order. The best thing that could happen is eliminate all of Daesh. So they can't become anything but dead … I know … I know … It's wishful thinking … but I can dream, can't I ?

Bandits

I gotta admit I was a bit skeptical at first, but the POTUS made good on his promise to "degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL" during his speech a little over two years ago.

He deserves credit for this plus the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Pictor's--LOL(or at least,a good chuckle!)

I thought the Seals did that.

I suspect you are a bit premature on the whole "destruction of ISIL" thing (a pity they waited so long to get serious about attacking them), especially since the liberation forces are still 5 miles from Mosul, and Raqqa isn't even being looked at currently, not to mention all their other affiliate branches in 30+ countries.

Taking Mosul is doable because it is in Iraq and the Iraqi Army and the Kurds are acting as proxies in the attack. Who will be the boots on the ground in an attack on Raqqa in Syria? The US-led Coalition does not have enough proxies in Syria to take Raqqa. Will it cooperate with the Assad Regime and the Russians to allow them to retake this last ISIL hub? Will it push Iraqi troops to attack Syria as one of the presidential candidates seemed to indicate in the third US presidential debate? There are insufficient Syrian Kurds and they are too dispersed to do such an attack on Raqqa. How will this last great nut of the ISIL Caliphate be cracked?

Cheers.
Rod Robertson.

The various arab/moslem forces in Iraqi will retake Mosul sooner than later. Most likely killing Baghdadi[I hope]. The question is who will control it ? The Kurds ? The Iraqi gov't ? The IRGC supported Iraqi Shia militias ? Again, I see another civil war in the making.

Raqqa will fall to Assad heavily supported by the Russians. It may look like the dark side of the Moon in the end. With huge civilian losses. However, Syria will eventually be mostly under Assad's control.

Lesson Learned [or should be by the US !] : Do Not remove Mid East Dictators/Tyrants. E.g. Saddam and Ghaddafi …

If the Iraqi government has a good deal going with the Kurds and Shias, then it will remain Iraqi territory, the Kurds get to keep whatever weaponry and cash reserves they can get from dead Daesh fighters, and Shia get to bask in the knowledge that they have saved whatever Shias live in the region by fighting a hateful Sunni organization.

If they haven't thought that far ahead, the Kurds and Shia will likely fight over either territory or loot, while the Iraqi army sates their own greed.

Hopefully the former will happen, but its 2016 so always be ready for a let down.

Yes, the Iraqi government/leadership likes having someone else fight their battles it appears ….