This was the first article that I found to be extremely
helpful. This document contained tons of different information, ranging from
graphs and maps to a Pro/Con section that concluded the article. There were
several different reading parts that described the current situation of Al
Qaeda in the Middle East. I learned that Al Qaeda is not associated with ISIS
anymore because this terrorist group turned against an Al Qaeda leader
Zawahiri. They use brutal mechanisms to take over the land that Al Qaeda does not
support. This article allowed me to see the views of many American military
men, along with several political quotes given about the issue from different
US men. This article provided an overview, discussed Western involvement, and
gave detail as to what the current situation is now.
This source has responded to my other sources by providing
me with information about what other countries are doing to help the issue.
Most of the US military believe that Al Qaeda is not a current threat to the
West, mainly because they are dealing with the ISIS terrorist group and the
Syrian Civil War. This article provided a contrasting view in regards to
American soldiers leaving Afghanistan soon. “It's hugely
frustrating,” said Michael D. Barbero, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general
who oversaw the training of Iraqi troops from 2009 to 2011. “We knew they had
chinks in their armor, and we knew they weren't going to get better once we
left. And yet we didn't try hard enough to get an agreement to keep some people
there.” This raises an argument in itself because my previous articles have all
sided with Obama’s decision to pull troops out of Iraq because we did not have
the Iraqi government support anymore. Barbero is saying that if we pull out of
Afghan, the same issue could arise similar to the ISIS moving forward in Iraq. Terrence
McCoy comments also, “ISIS just stole $425 million, Iraqi governor says, and
became the ‘world's richest terrorist group,’” The
Washington Post, June 12, 2014. This poses a major threat as now
the ISIS has the funds to continue its mission, with possible threats towards
the West emerging.
Right away, this article changed my thinking process when I
read, “Al Qaeda will forever be associated in the American mind
with the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed 2,977 people and
prompted President George W. Bush to declare war on terrorism. But today's al Qaeda is far different from
the hierarchical organization that mounted the 9/11 attacks, led by Osama bin
Laden operating from a safe haven in Afghanistan.” I have always associated Al
Qaeda with the 9/11 attacks but it did not occur to me that we are dealing with
a completely different group after thirteen years have passed. I was also able
to view the ISIS as a completely separate terrorist group that Al Qaeda does
not support. The ISIS is a Sunni group that wants to reign over all Shiite
Muslims. This article allowed me to see that this terrorist war is a power
battle for the Middle East as Iran is dominantly Shiite and Saudi Arabia is dominantly
Sunni. I was also able to view this issue in a different way when the article
discussed the possibility for terrorist attacks from individuals who have
previously fought over in Iraq and Syria. The article states, “About 100
foreign fighters in Syria are from the United States, and 2,000 to 3,000 are
from Western Europe.” Another view was brought to my attention dealing with
other Middle Eastern country involvement. Riedel states, “We don't want to
support the Assad regime to fight al-Nusra. Somalia really has no effective
government whatsoever, so who are you going to support there? We gave a lot of
money to the Pakistani government, but is there really any evidence that we are
getting much help in fighting al Qaeda? Pakistan hasn't arrested a senior al
Qaeda figure since 2005.” My argument towards this statement is, why would the
United States give money to countries that are having similar terrorist issues?
We should focus on getting the help of other power nations such as England and
France because their governments and military have the capability to take down
the ISIS and create some peace in this area. These Middle Eastern countries
that we are trying to support and train have little hope because they are too
unstable and Al Qaeda and the ISIS can demolish them very easily. I did read
that, “Some Western nations are turning to families and friends for clues.
France is setting up a network of telephone hotlines and counseling centers for
family, friends and community members to report radicalized young men, and
Germany is considering such a system as well.” This is a positive aspect as now
these two countries can help the United States stop these Middle East terrorist
groups as they have taken protective measures so that their countries are not attacked
by men formally fighting in the ISIS or Al Qaeda. This article provided me with
several other quotes that I can use in my to better my argument and I learned
about many different aspects that play into stopping the ISIS terrorist group.
My next step is going to be find
another article that provides me with opposing views like this article. I need
to narrow my topic down to one specific issue but that is hard to do when
everything is connected. This article provided me with specific areas of this
topic, which was helpful as I learned about what the US is doing but how other
countries are involved which is what I am starting to focus on. I am going to
find out more about what France and Germany are doing, along with finding
information that supports my argument that American should stop giving money to
small Middle Eastern countries because they will not be able to defeat the ISIS
on their own as they are too unstable. I want to find out about any possible
terrorist threats towards the United States to back up my statement that
America should be in this area trying to defeat the ISIS. I originally did not agree
with the United States being over in Iraq and Syria because there are issues in
the United States that should be solved first, like illegal immigrants and the
poverty rates, but I have realized that if the United States does not work with
other power house countries to stop the ISIS, another terrorist attack could be
launched and this group will continue to kill thousands of innocent people
until all of the Middle East is Sunni.
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