General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What do YOU think "ISIS", "ISIL", or "ISLAMIC STATE" actually is? [View all]Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)i believe that the men behind IS are actually very earnest about who and what they are - they're seeking to establish an Islamic state that destroys the artificial borders imposed in 1919 and replaces secular governance with a religious Caliphate. And that for all the barbarism in their methods, they are actually quite popular in the region they've claimed - because they're seen as better than either competing government... and as pertains to the Sunni Arabs who make the majority in these areas, that's probably actually true, disgustingly enough.
Now of course there's a lot of very interesting threads that are involved in weaving this situation.
- Why isn't IS going after Jordan? A Belgian soccer team could topple Amman and take control of that country, I can't imagine Is would find it challenging. But they stop right there at the border. Why? More astute question - what are the money links between Amman and Raqqah?
- Why do the Iraqi soldiers keep running? I think that these men received intentionally substandard training, from top to bottom. That it was an intentional act of sabotague by the US, from both relevant administrations - the US doesn't want a strong and capable iraqi military! it doesn't want any nation in the region to have that. (Well... one nation...)