The Importance Of ISIS: A Threat To The United States

In today's current world there are many different threats that prevail each day and pose a threat to the United States and her allies. The most recent threat that has gained notable media attention is the formation of a large group of terrorists who call themselves ISIS. ISIS stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and is also commonly known as ISIL which stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. During the group's first years after forming they chose to associate themselves with other Jihad extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Ladin. It was not long after that Al-Qaeda decided to distance themselves from this new ISIS group due to their violent actions against the rest of the world, after this ISIS became a self sustained entity. ISIS has
ISIS believes in the strict enforcement of Sharia Law. Most recently the members of the Islamic State have carried out "widespread ethnic and religious cleansing," according to the United Nations. The State has been specifically targeting members of the Christian faith, Turkmen, Shabaks, and Yazidis. The recent terrorist attacks in Paris and the shooting down of a Russian passenger jet have focused the West's attention to the Islamic State's civilian toll outside of Iraq and Syria. Previously, ISIS also has had a history of attacking mosques, hotels, and even busy city streets as well as other civilian targets in non-Western countries. Between these two recent terror events, officials on both sides believe that the civilian death count outside of Iraq and Syria has risen to nearly 1,000 since January. This also shows a major leap in ISIS's ability to direct and inspire attacks on Western nations. ISIS's main strategy has relied mainly on “lone wolf” followers to attack and strike targets in the West. The attacks consist of shootings, hit and runs, and