In the past, warfare strategies were simple. All a good commander needs do is to gauge the strength and weaknesses of the enemy; the number and strength of troops, weapons in their arsenals, the terrain of warfare among other critical factors. When all these are available through intelligence, he plots his strategy on how to attack, cut off the enemy supply routes, fortify his own supply routes etc. But a new kind of warfare that presently obtain means things have changed.
In today’s complex world the enemy, most of the times, does not wear a uniform and is not “organised” in the conventional sense. He goes in mufti like most citizens and freely mixes and blends with everyone. He keeps devising ingenious ways of getting at his victims. For instance, in the attack that took place at a hotel resort in Tunisia, the attacker came through the ocean to kill more than twenty people relaxing on the beach in cold blood. He knew it would’ve been difficult to come through the hotel. At other times, he targets densely populated areas to blow himself up killing others in the process.
So how do you identify him? That’s the big challenge the world is grappling with today. We have entered an era of new, extremely dangerous and complex kind of warfare. With Boko Haram in our midst; we have to be consistently on our toes in Nigeria. If France can be under emergency rule and Brussels and some cities in Belgium were on lockdown for days because of an imminent terrorist attack, then we have our work cut out for us.
About four weeks ago, I watched a two part documentary on Aljazeera titled “Enemy of Enemies.” The documentary, which is also available on YouTube, chronicled how the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been truly devastating to those it comes in contact with and bloody to those under its control.
The sudden rise and expansion of ISIS in 2014, the documentary pointed out, has no doubt perplexed many. It has humiliated its enemies, including those in Damascus, Baghdad (where the Iraqi forces were shown running away shamelessly), Tehran and Washington. Armed with extensive weaponry, boasting an international fighting force and adept in the art of superb digital media propaganda, the so-called ISIS has become the de facto authority across an area the size of Jordan.
The effective use of high quality digital media propaganda is a ‘new’ invention in terrorism and credit will have to go to ISIS for attracting some of the best minds who know the impact of visual communication. To all intent and purposes it has been extremely successful resulting in thousands across the world – including Nigeria – willingly going to Syria to fight for ISIS. This has transformed it into a global movement.
The Aljazeera two-part documentary critically looked at the rhetoric to examine how a volunteer organisation managed to rise up from the ashes of post-invasion Iraq and defeat standing armies many times its size and capacity. How did it begin? How did it grow so astonishingly quickly? And how is it being used by global and regional powers to change the geopolitical map of the Middle East?
Al Jazeera’s former Middle East correspondent, Sue Turton, narrates the documentary and also moderates a studio discussion between Iraq’s former national security adviser, Mowaffak al Rubaie; Ali Khedery, special adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq; and Australian journalist and Middle East correspondent, Martin Chulov.
They all seem to agree that their radicalisation started from captivity at “Camp Bucca,” the camp the US forces set up to round up suspected terrorist and de-radicalise them after the invasion of Iraq which toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein. Moderate Islamic clerics were brought in to explain the real meaning of Islam during the de-radicalisation process. It is instructive to note that ISIS leader, Abu bakr al- Bagdadi was also among those held at “Camp Bucca.”
With critical testimony from informed insiders and experts from across three continents, as well as original footage from Syria and Iraq, this exciting series mixes documentary and discussion to unravel the interweaving nexus of events and alliances, at once aligned and conflicting, that have given rise to the world’s most notorious – and powerful – insurgent group.
It has now become clear that ISIS is the product of the Syrian civil war. At the same time, it has now become President Assad’s ‘greatest gift.’ Even some of his staunchest critics are now scared of what will happen if he is toppled. This is a dilemma. Should you allow Assad continue to murder his countrymen or allow ISIS to be tormenting the entire world? There are no easy answers.
One aspect of the documentary I found frightening was where children as young as nine already knew what a Magnum pistol and a Kalashnikov rifle is. Their “teacher” asked them what they are used for and they replied “they are used to kill infidels.” While pupils in saner climes are being taught about technology, entrepreneurship etc, these children are being groomed to be blood thirsty killers without consciences.
Some may ask: how does this concern us? It does big time. Already, there are reports that most of the BH suicide bombers are teenage girls. Were they brainwashed to be suicide bombers? The answer is quite obvious. The terrorists target young minds because they are a good ground to plant pervasive ideologies which can be well fertilized by their young minds. BH has already pledged allegiance to ISIS.
Prior to the emergence of ISIS, there was Al Qaeda. The world thought it had seen it all following the 9/11 suicide attack on the World Trade Centre twin towers in New York. But ISIS is bent on making Al Qaeda look like child’s play.
Rohan Gunaratna, a research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St. Andrews, Scotland in his book “Inside Al Qaeda Global Network of Terror” examined the leadership, ideology, structure, strategies, and tactics of the “most violent politico-religious organization the world has ever seen.” This definitive work on Al Qaeda is based on five years of research, including extensive interviews with its members; field research in Al Qaeda-supported conflict zones in Central, South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East; and monitoring its infiltration of diaspora and migrant communities in North America and Europe.
Although founded in 1988, the group merged with and still works with several other extremist groups. Hence Its rank and file draws on nearly three decades of terrorist expertise. Moreover, it inherited a full-fledged training and operational infrastructure funded by the United States, European, Saudi Arabian and other governments for use in the anti-Soviet Jihad.
This interesting book sheds light on Al Qaeda’s financial infrastructure and how they train combat soldiers and vanguard fighters for multiple guerrilla, terrorist and semi-conventional campaigns in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the Caucuses, and the Balkans. In addition, the author covers the clandestine Al Qaeda operational network in the West.
Gunaratna reveals how the late Osama bin Laden had his mentor and Al Qaeda founder, “Azzam,” assassinated in order to take over the organization. Al Qaeda’s long-range, deep-penetration agent handling system in Western Europe and North America for setting up safe houses, procuring weapons, and conducting operations is revealed. The author also wrote on how the “O55 Brigade,” Al Qaeda’s guerrilla organization, integrated into the Taliban, how the arrest of Zacarias Moussaoui forced Al Qaeda to move forward on September 11, how a plan to destroy British Parliament on 9/11 and to use nerve gas on the European Union Parliament were thwarted.
This is the most frightening aspect of this new form of terrorism. What will happen if they lay their hands on chemical or nuclear weapons? The repercussion is unimaginable.
To destroy Al Qaeda, Gunaratna shows there needs to be a multipronged, multiagency, and multidimensional response by the international community. Since Al Qaeda’s impact has waned over the years, even enemies will have to come together to defeat a far more dangerous and common enemy which is ISIS.