Islamic State seeks for weak points in each region and attempts to distribute its influence there - expert
Dr. Theodore Karasik, Gulf-based analyst of regional geo-political affairs, tells about some aspects of Daesh's current extremist activity in an interview to the special correspondent of Kazinform for Middle East countries.
Mr. Karasik, for a long time you have been studying the processes related to the Islamic State's radical activity. What are its main methods of fighters' recruitment and what levers of pressure does it use?
The Islamic State recruits people, first of all, via the social networks gaining young people's attention with the help of various internet resources. They can recruit people who speak different languages; they actively use advertisement, online newspapers etc. to propagate their ideas. They apply also such social networks as "VKontakte", "Facebook" etc. What do they usually offer? They offer salaries, medical insurance, wives, sexual slaves, weapon i.e. various beneficial suggestions and conditions.
Some experts call them a terrorist army and some people call them rebels of Levant, Syria and Iraq, but for me the Islamic State is a virus. Its recruiting tools are like a cold. It offers various opportunities, and those who cannot afford to climb the career ladder in respectable countries of the world usually yield to such promises.
Daesh is capable of recruiting smart and highly-educated people, for instance, doctors, professors, engineers, for they pay them salary and meet their needs. They can pay money, because Daesh is the richest terrorist organization in the mankind history and it grows rich by means of kidnapping, unauthorized sale of oil, heavy taxation etc.
How can society be protected from such a big threat?
Each country has its own specific methodology in this issue. For example, they differ in the way how their law-enforcement structures fight against terrorist threats. They should find out, first of all, how Daesh recruits people. They should concentrate their efforts on the weakest points of governmental structures. Daesh recruiters focus on the areas with a weak governmental control. Thus, we can foresee where they might move to "fill the void". Kazakhstan occupies a large territory and it is quite troublesome to define the level of satisfaction of its population in all the regions. Such countries as yours should have strong police and special services; they should recruit people capable to gather information about extremist activity. In other words, your country should identify the problems existing in a city or a village and solve them with the help of local administration, in order to be confident that the people are not susceptible to this disease.
The law enforcement agencies should keep a close watch on criminal authorities, as they can be involved in transportation of people and various goods. For instance, we see that Daesh uses tribal networks in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and even in the UAE. You might know about the arrest of Daesh troops there...
Do you mean the lawsuit against 41 people?
Yes, I do. These people were the members of the clan which had been removed from the upper class of society. The leaders of Daesh are quite smart, since they know what, when and where to use.
What is the activity of Daesh in Iraq to date? How real is this threat to the capital city Baghdad?
Unfortunately, Daesh can move anywhere it wishes. However, this is only a temporary phenomenon for the strategists and experts who think in "Daesh style". They can occupy a territory for some time and then dislocate their forces in another direction and leave this area.
We know that Baghdad is a big city with Sunnites dominating around it. But Shiites are their neighbors. Daesh can divide into small groups and penetrate into Baghdad and work there safely sheltered under business. It is evident that Daesh troops are in Baghdad now. They have not captured it yet, since they are waiting for a suitable moment. They are quite patient. This is their strategy. If you remember how the Chechens fought against Russia in 90s, you can find similar moments in their tactics.
As for your question, I can say briefly that Daesh is able to support and control its territory in Iraq. This proves that they buy Sunnite fighters who are unsatisfied with the political system of Iraq.
Thank you for your commentary.
Author: Arnur Rakhymbekov