Obliteration, destruction and demise have surrounded the Middle East for quite some time, ensuring the deaths of refugees, activists and civilians alike.

The cause? Terroristic groups that are driven by power-hungry rebels claiming they act on the behalf of their religions.

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), one of several of these groups, is growing in power and gaining international supporters. ISIS’s plague has infected people from the U.K., the U.S., the Arab world, Caucasus, France and Germany.

ISIS has gained support since its establishment in April 2003 by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Baghdadi is a former Iraqi al-Qaeda leader.

In 2004, Baghdadi announced that ISIS is a caliphate before declaring himself the caliph. A caliphate is an Islamic state or government whose people are devoted to the idea that their beliefs are based on politics and religion.
ISIS’s goal is not only to gain supporters, but also to expand their territory geographically. They have acquired portions of Iraq and Syria, and are currently based in Syria.

The U.S. has been reluctant to send in forces so far. The dispatching of troops would be unwise, due to the lack of support on the ground.

According to General Anthony Zinni, former head of Central Command, the necessary amount of troops is between 10,000 and 25,000. At this time, the U.S. force operates under 2,900 troops. The insufficient number of available manpower has also delayed the dispatch of troops.

Every minute that the U.S. delays action, ISIS multiplies its power. Is waiting to formulate a strategy or increase troops worth risking ISIS gaining complete control?

“I believe that you should stop a problem before it becomes a bigger one,” Sophomore Jordan Hartle said.
On Nov. 3, Ahmad Chalabi passed away of natural causes at the age of 71. Chalabi was credited as one of the influences for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. His death could mean yet another postponement of any participation in the fight against terrorists.

Likewise, it was reported on Nov. 3 that these particular rebels have been caging Syrian soldiers they have imprisoned and using them as protection against government attacks. Each cage contains seven people and, up until now, approximately 100 cages have been distributed.

Although Russia is not a branch of ISIS, they have killed more civilians than the Islamic militants that they were aiming for in their recent airstrike attacks. The confirmed death toll is 185 civilians including women and children.

While ISIS and other rebel groups are not the only source of death in the Middle East, it is possible that some of the deaths caused by these organizations could be prevented with involvement from the U.S.