Despite the victory over the terrorist organization of ISIS in Iraq, but it remains a serious threat to the security and stability of Iraq. According to the security information relating to the remaining elements, there are 30,000 Iraqi fighters and a few thousand members of different nationalities. They chose to go to Libya, Sudan and Russia, some of whom preferred to return to the country from which they came, through Turkey. The Iraqis of ISIS are returning to Iraq to form the so-called “states of northern Baghdad, Diyala and Tigris” and other names, those returning to have an administrative, military, financial structure and secret organization, using the previous methods of secret terrorist organizations active in Iraq in 2007, such as Al Qaeda and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
There is no doubt that confronting this organization is inevitable, but this confrontation must be based on a new tactic and strategy, not on the conventional strategy of fighting the terrorist organization. No one denies the heroic role contributed by the security services and the Iraqi armed forces in the face of the terrorist organization of ISIS. Some of these bodies and forces have been trained to confront it, and have done well in defeating it, and this also applies to the role of the Iraqi intelligence, which gained experience in the field in dealing with the terrorist organization where it became more professional and powerful, thanks to them we were able to pursue terrorist organization in Turkey and other Countries.
The return of these terrorists to Iraq will create a very dangerous social environment. The Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies believes that the consequences of the terrorism of the organization ISIS are not limited to Iraq, but to the international community as a whole. All states and other military and security institutions must stand by Iraq in the battle against terrorism that threatens the security of the world, and at the forefront of this, the “international coalition” led by the United States of America in the fight against the terrorist organization ISIS, the coalition should support the Iraqi intelligence service and train the counter-terrorism service in Iraq in a qualitative training consistent with the seriousness of this organization.
In contrast, the Iraqi security services must rely on qualitative operations in the sense that they do not result from their operations in the fight against the terrorist organization of ISIS, more resentful towards the state and its security and military apparatuses. This depends on the method adopted in eradicating it , for example: If a number of the people of village was a thousand ones in which three to five terrorists are involved, it is not right and wise to punish the villagers by collective punishment because of the crimes of these terrorist terrorists. On the contrary, the wisdom here is very necessary as it must distinguish between terrorists and peaceful civilians of the people of the village. It is not wise for the villagers to turn into supporters of the terrorist organization of ISIS and the resentful on the state and this is what the security and intelligence services don’t aspire to in Iraq, the more they deal wisely , the greater the pressure on the terrorist organization of ISIS in the neighborhood , alley , village , the city and the Iraqi province, and vice versa.
Despite the danger of the return of these terrorists to Iraq, they can not do terrorist acts that would create a highly complex Iraqi environment unless they have the funding element. They have faith and fighters. With the availability of money, they may gain new fighters in Iraq making use of its bad economic situations, therefore, it is necessary to tighten control on funds coming to Iraq through strict control over the Central Bank of Iraq and Iraqi banks and impose strict control over the sale of currency auction. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to fight corruption in Iraq first. Neighboring, regional and international countries should cooperate seriously with Iraq in the fight against money laundering. And cooperation in the framework of the strategic alliance between Washington and Baghdad.
To sum up, confronting the remaining elements of ISIS in Iraq requires a strong federal government in Baghdad, a highly competent intelligence apparatus, and Iraqi forces equipped with the required weapons to counter that organization that threatens the world. If it is eradicated in Iraq and completely, it is a prelude to removing it elsewhere and vice versa. The fight against ISIS is not the battle of Iraq alone, but a battle to save humanity as a whole from its cruelty.
Iraqi Studies Unit
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies