In recent months, descriptions of ISIS have shifted from calling them a terrorist organization,
to an entirely different criminal group.
The hierarchy and operations of ISIS are distinctly unique from groups like Al-Qaeda or the Taliban.
So, how is ISIS organized?
Well, a traditional terrorist group like al-Qaeda is a loosely connected network of terrorist
cells.
There are usually only a few hundred core members.
They primarily attack civilians, avoid direct military engagements, and relinquish territory
as they move.
However, ISIS is a lot more like an unestablished state with significant armed forces.
They have as many as 30,000 fighters controlling territory in Iraq and Syria.
They are financially self-sufficient, and operate like a conventional army.
In short, ISIS is a much more complicated problem than what many make it out to be.
In January 2014, a top ISIS strategist was killed, and plans concerning the group’s
organization were discovered.
Both Der Spiegel and the terrorism research center, TRAC report that the basic framework
of ISIS is similar to a pyramid dictatorship.
At the top is the caliphate leader and final decision maker, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi . He
is considered a representative of Islam’s prophet.
Baghdadi delegates to his cabinet, which runs the military, judicial system, intelligence
services, public relations and administrative duties.
Additionally, the caliphate leader has private deputies, who oversee more regional, governmental
issues.
The deputies are in charge of a number of ISIS governors who control Iraqi and Syrian
territory.
Baghdadi also controls a separate “war office”, which deals with the logistics of their military.
Most of those high ranking members are former Saddam Hussein military officers.
A major part of the Islamic State’s plan is to institute education, healthcare, and
infrastructure, some of which they have already started doing.
It is clear that referring to themselves as a “state” is not simply an attempt at
gaining legitimacy, but a longstanding goal.
In some captured cities there are even sharia police, who look out for sinful behavior.
Despite massive attempts by international forces to stop the spread of ISIS, the group
continues to be self-sufficient and determined to establish a religious state.
President Barack Obama has maintained that ISIS is, in fact, a terrorist organization.
However, State department officials have testified that the group has become a “full blown
army”..
The fight for dominance in the Middle East is a complex and relatively new type of struggle.
Whether opposing countries are ready to deal with that threat is yet to be seen.
ISIS has a special group of shock troops that are prone to truly horrific combat tactics.
To learn about this group, take a look at the video up top from Seeker Daily.
Or for a closer look at the war on ISIS, check out our full playlist below.
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