Ever since 2014, a terrorist group has been in control of parts of Iraq and Syria. This terrorist group, known by the name of ISIS (Islamic state of Iraq and Syria), has gained an international notoriety through war crimes, ethnic cleansing, destruction of historic artifacts, and international terrorism. It is through this notoriety that the world decided to go on an offensive against ISIS; however, each nation has their own reaction and response.
By far the most outspoken response is the Iraqi and Syrian response to ISIS’s invasion of their land. These two states have been leading an extended campaign against ISIS, using airstrikes and ground forces. Iraq has been especially responsive, considering the fact that according to the pentagon, ISIS has lost around 50% of the territory that they conquered in Iraq. And most recently, Iraq is leading a 35000 coalition to liberate the Iraqi city of Mosul. Although it is expected to be a huge success, it is projected that it will take several weeks, if not months, to complete. Syria has not been silent during this time, for they have managed, according to the Pentagon, to reclaim around 20% of their territory. So while the campaign for Mosul is under way, the Syrian forces are leading their own campaign to isolate and eventually reclaim Raqqa, a key city in ISIS campaign in Syria.
Another noteworthy response is France’s response to ISIS. France has been attacked more than once by terrorist claiming to be apart of the ISIS, most notably their attack on Paris on November 13, 2015 . In response, France has decided to up their security and work with the coalition in Iraq and Syria. They do this by sending supplies and launching airstrikes against the Islamic State.
Other nations are fighting the war against ISIS though, the UK and the US being prime nations in this quest. The US is actually leading the coalition against ISIS, launching around 10,300 airstrikes. The UK has followed this example by also launching their own airstrikes. These two nations have also been supplying the frontlines with specialist and trainers in order to help the Iraqi and Syrian forces in repelling ISIS. So far it has been working, with much success following the past few years. However, some nations are not as outspoken about their actions against ISIS.
An example of a nation that is not so outspoken is Russia. While Russia has been launching many airstrikes in Syria against what they say is “terrorist”, they are not saying exactly where their targets are, however it is projected that the targets are deep in enemy territory. There is also evidence that Russia has helped Syrian government forces surround the city of Aleppo. However, a representative says that Russia is no longer launching airstrikes against Aleppo.
Interestingly enough, ,some nations have decided to go silent in their campaign against ISIS. An example of a nation that has gone quiet in a response against ISIS is Israel. While it may seem that Israel is not concerned over the Islamic State, the problem is that they are concerned with other terrorist organizations that are a constant threat to their well being, for example Hamas. Israel may or may not be sending some funds to the coalition against ISIS, but it has spoken out against ISIS multiple times. While Israel does not support ISIS, they are simply to busy with their own security to take a more active stand against ISIS.
Overall, the battle against ISIS has drawn the ire of many nations. It is through their formation that an entire coalition of nations have decided to join forces with each other in order to reclaim what ISIS has conquered and to bring them down. ISIS has much to answer for, and these nations will make sure to seek justice.