Terror, terrorists, terrorizing are words that have become so cliché that they almost fail to live up to their meaning.
Iraq , a world that has been completely consumed in the fire of terror , fails to recognize the emotion itself. All that is left is desperation.
Terrorism , insurgencies , toppling of governments – Iraq has lived them all since time immemorial. But in a recent flow of events, the situation of this very scared and desperate country is gravely disturbing. The year 2014 saw one of the biggest insurgencies of Iraq ever since the US led invasion.
Offences in Iraq has always been based on such vast number of issues that it is practically impossible for a layman to point down his finger on the 'hows' , 'whys' and 'when s. '
Through this article, I ll try to sum up the whole picture into a smaller but an effectively sharp, grim and minute canvas.
The crisis of 2014 began with an offensive against the Iraqi Government, on the 5th of June, by the Islamic State Of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL, now known as the Islamic State, IS). This was a more forceful attack following the earlier clashes in December 2013.
Several cities and other territories were captured by the ISIS and aligned forces, beginning with an attack on Samarra on 5 June followed by the seizure of Mosul on the night of 9 June and Tirkit on 11 June. The Kurdish forces took control of the oil hub of Kirkuk, when the Iraqi government forces fled south on the 13th June. Iraq had lost control of its borders with Jordan and Syria, by late June. Even though Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had called for a national state of emergency, the Iraqi Parliament had had not allowed it, following which many Sunni Arab and ethnic Kurdish legislators boycotted the session because they opposed expanding the prime minister's powers.
The aftermath that followed this blatantly gruesome war saw loss of human life , threat of economical disasters and gigantic political structural shifts in every part of the world.
ISIS left no stone unturned to spread terror and desperation into the blood of every living soul who were against them. The limit of inhumanity was crossed when they committed mass murder and proudly advertised the executions in a video that went viral in matter of hours on the internet.
Human Rights Watch reported that between 160 and 190 men were killed in at least two locations around Tikrit between June 11 and June 14. Pictures on the HRW website showed rows of men lined up in trenches who were then shot by gunmen, it also said that the death toll could be much higher, but they had no way of locating bodies or even getting to the area to carry out a full investigation.
The chilling part was the fact ISIS did not even bother to hide their crimes and boldly claimed to have executed 1,700 Shia soldiers in Tikrit and Iraq’s human rights minister, Mohamed Shia Sudani, announced on June 22 that 175 air force recruits had been executed by ISIS, also in Tikrit. Some of them were thrown into the Tigris River while others were buried in mass graves.
HRW spoke to one man who had managed to escape from Tikrit after the killings. He said he had seen hundreds of men being loaded onto trucks and driven away by ISIL fighters,
“I saw them with my own eyes. It was late afternoon. It was a long line. I saw about 10 armed gunmen with their guns pointed at a line of men, walking them to military trucks. Some of the gunmen had masks and others showed their faces,” he said.
One would think of this as an execution to show their level of power. But the story did not end just there. ISIS's absolute hate for every other religious minority was also showcased as they threatened the latter to either convert into Islam , pay taxes or pay with their lives. Thousands of religious minorities fled Iraq overnight in order to keep their families safe and alive. Hundreds of minorities were executed likewise.
The cause of Iraqi Crisis has been under detailed scrutiny and is still debatable. Some trace back the cause to the Syrian Civil War which gave ISIS and other Sunni Jihadi groups a cause and a battlefield when it looked like their campaign in Iraq was in decline ; whereas critics of the US lead invasion in Iraq, in 2003 believe the root of these events should trace back to unsuccessful nation-building as well as sectarian and ethnic division in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's removal from power.
The critics of the main party in question-Iraq's government critics - the pro-Shia policies of al-Maliki have been considered one of the main reasons of alienation Sunni Arabs and Kurds, which has played a significant role in the deterioration of security and the re-emergence of Sunni extremists.
The offensives in Iraq was blatantly condemned by almost every leading nation of the world. Each country took steps to help and assist the trapped civilians- who were deemed as minorities as per their religion- of their specific nations.
On 16 June, Indian External Affairs Ministry condemned the takeover of Iraqi cities, by terrorists and reiterated its support to the government and the people of Iraq in their fight against international terrorism.
It also set up a 24-hour helpline at Indian embassy in Baghdad for assistance of Indian nationals stranded in these cities.
It has been reported that 46 Indian nurses were abducted from the Iraqi town of Mosul who were later freed and flown back to India.
As a result of these insurgencies and terrorist activities, Iraq has now been decisively taken over by ISIS and Ba'ath Loyalists, who have captured significant territories in Northern Iraq from Mosul to Tikrit.
In conclusion, I'd like to quote President Obama's letter,
“On August 14, 2014, I authorized the U.S. Armed Forces to conduct targeted air strikes to support operations by Iraqi forces to recapture the Mosul Dam. These military operations will be limited in their scope and duration as necessary to support the Iraqi forces in their efforts to retake and establish control of this critical infrastructure site, as part of their ongoing campaign against the terrorist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The failure of the Mosul Dam could threaten the lives of large numbers of civilians, endanger U.S. personnel and facilities, including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and prevent the Iraqi government from providing critical services to the Iraqi populace. Pursuant to this authorization, on the evening of August 15, 2014, U.S. military forces commenced targeted airstrike operations in Iraq.
I have directed these actions, which are in the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive. These actions are being undertaken in coordination with the Iraqi government.
I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148). I appreciate the support of the Congress in this action.”
