Though ISIS still controls countless towns and villages in the deserts of eastern Syria, Syrian and Iraqi forces are both scrambling toward what they are describing as the “last stronghold” of ISIS in the area.
That stronghold is the main border crossing between Iraq and Syria, the city of Abu Kamal in Syria, and al-Qaim within Iraq. While this isn’t a huge city, it is a strategically valuable holding for ISIS, and one of the last ones.
Syrian forces and US-backed Kurds have both been pushing back ISIS along the Euphrates River, and getting ever closer to the crossing. Iraq’s Air Force is dropping leaflets in al-Qaim, warning civilians that they need to take refuge in their homes and raise white flags, or else they’ll be assumed to be in league with ISIS.
Of course, the fall of this border crossing, even both sides of it, is far from “the end of ISIS” that has been heralded for months. Even when their territory is gone, ISIS will remain a substantial insurgency with reach across the world.
And why is it so? ISIS will remain insurgency with a reach accross the world. Always
having money — but no currency, having plenty of weapons, but no weapons factories, buying on open market all the life necessities, paying salaries to its soldiers — but having no economy. How easily we accept the most ridiculous fantasy — no questions asked. It takes a lots of money to sustain such operations — even with the low cost soldiers. But not all of them are caliphate cults — a well trained cadre of mercenaries are the ones performing key operations, while the fanatical Salafis and their families are left to die in rubble of what were once cities.
So, who is financing them? Who is directing their missions? Who iis supplying arms, transportation, telecom? Who is processing purchase orders for all supplies?
It is not beyond the realm of possible to imagine all those disappearing billions from wars — Iraqi, Afghanistan, Libya — to find a way to bankroll various “insurgencies” around the globe. Insurgencues with a local flavoring, but firm international backbone of operations.
It is not simply possible that all the wealthiest countries in the world cannot uncover such massive trail of death enterprise.
And in many ways I do not think western countries mind periodic terrorist attacks committed by the crazed, mentally unstable lose cannons of Islamic fundamentalism. In fact, sll these events do is increase the hate of prople from Midfle East and all Moslems, and takes away any public outcry against never ending interventions around globe.
Until some serous consequences are promised to those that peddle in terrorist business — this will continue. Not just to wait for the long arm of the law — but to mount public condemnation, punish politicians who support “insurgencies” and all forms of violence as means to solve political problems. Anyone pretending to global leadership would be well advised to advocate peace, stability, peaceful transition of power. And sbove all insure that armed formations cannot globalize — become an internstional force, and a perenial obstacle to economic development.
For as long as we do not condemn interventions, “training” of rebels, arming revolutionaries of all stripes — the cycle will continue. In such circumstances the only countries that will save themselves are the ones with strong sense of identity, and strong leadership bordering on absolute power to be able to make decisions and execute security against armed infiltrators.
All terrorist armed cells are — is the priming of the pump, praying on social discontent in a country X ir Y. And then recruiting unemployed and otherwise available to join the destruction of their own countries. So unless there is a large segment of population aware and supportive of the government and military force — by the time they wise up
— may be too late, and an abyss of failed state is stairing at them.
The future of mankind will reside in ability to maintain peace and stability at home and in the neighborhood —as the prospects of better life will not be attainable without stability and social harmony.
A much higher degree of awareness will be required for populace to understand the importance of hanging on to their institutions and the fabric of society they protect. It is not hard to understand the importance of having a state in the world of corporate globalism. Advocates of corporate global nirvana fail to tell us who will protect us against the roaming imperial human drones — the terrorists — and who will stop them from destroying our peace and the future of new generations? Who?
Those who will be prepared to defend their community from global terror plague, who will be prepared to sacrifice their comforts to defend their peace will secure their place under the sun.
The way we so casually believe that terrorism will regroup after being defested in Syria or Iraq — and go on to level horror and destruction on weaker, those not believing in themselves, thise not prepared to resolutely reject armed “politics” supported by foreign forces.
Unfortunatelly, as the demicracy has been abused — it will morph into either more cohesive societies or the ones manipulated by the interests of competing identities. As more countries put barriers to terrorist migrations and their sponsors’ ability to provide logistics — at some point the enormity of the costs will become a major issue in sponsoring countries — and while they may fior a while continue to pursue their idea of the pot of gold at the end of their adventure — the pressing needs of societies will become clearer and more urgent.
But the path to a new reality and new global balance will not be easy. As Rebecca West put it — nothing stinks like a carcass of an empire.