Guadalajara Model United Nations

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Guadalajara Model United Nations"

Esmond Potter
6 years ago
Views:

1 Combating the rise of ISIS League of Arab States I. Background on League of Arab States The League of Arab States (Arab League) is an organization that consists of independent Arab States conforming the northern and northeastern part of Africa and southwest Asia. The idea of the League of Arab States stemmed from Britain in 1942, who wanted to unite the Arab states against the Axis powers. The first six members states - Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia - initiated the league's formation with a signed agreement in Cairo, March 22nd, (Arab) Due to the arising conflict Syria has been temporarily suspended from the league thus leaving 21 members. The league's main document is the Charter of the Arab League. T he organization s main goal is strengthening of the relations between the member-states, the coordination of their policies in order to achieve co-operation between them and to safeguard their independence and sovereignty; and a general concern with the affairs and interests of the Arab countries. These affairs and interests include all important economic issues, including finances, commerce, business, currency, etc. They also include social, cultural and health affairs, communication, transport, travel, the question of nationality, visas and passports, and similar. (Arab) The highest body of the league is the High Council, composed of foreign ministers, delegates or representatives from each member state. Each member state has one vote. The League meets twice a year and may in occasion convene a special session. (BBC) Starting from May 2011, the current secretary-general is Nabil el-arabi. The League s effectiveness has constantly been hindered by the division amongst members, (BBC) varying from way of rule, religious preference, and opposing faction affiliation in global conflicts. II. Background on Combating the rise of ISIS Timeline: The rise of ISIS can be traced down to the invasion of the United States on Iraq in 2003, when US administrators under Paul Bremer decided to de-baathify the Iraqi civil and military services, leaving countless Sunni muslims without a job. (ZergNet, 2015) Abu Musab Al-Sarqawi s Tawhid wa Jihad extremist group was then formed to attack the US government. This group was independent from Al Qaeda for several months after the intervention of US forces in Iraq. In October, 2004 Al Qaeda merged an allegiance with Zarqawi s terrorist group and thus Tawhid wa Jihad became a branch of Al Qaeda and was renamed AQI (Al Qaeda in the land of Two Rivers). This group continued to terrorize and inflict damage upon Iraq and the US government under Zarqawi until his death on June, /7

2 Upon Zarqawi s death Al Masri was elected to lead this insurgence group which he converted to the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI ). In 2008 the US military and the Sunni tribal leaders signed the Awakening agreement to turn against ISI which then went underground. In the gap between , ISI continued to gain Iraqi support and size. In April 2010 Al Masri is killed and Abu Bakr chosen as new emir of ISI. In 2011, the Syrian uprising begins and Al Qaeda established Al Nusra, another terrorist group that would control Syria. ISI expanded to Syria as well and was renamed the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as it s known today. ISIS was amongst the first of the terrorist groups to seize control of a city. by January 4th, 2014 ISIS took control of Iraq city Fallujah and by the January 14th the Syrian city of Raqqa. ISIS quick expansion and extreme measures caused the breaking of ISIS and Al Qaeda which was officially announced in February 3rd, 2014 by its leader, Ayman al-zawahiri. (John, 2015) After seizing Mosul and Tikrit on Iraq, on June 24th, ISIS declares itself as a caliphate (Islamic state) and announces Abu Bakr as his caliph, the successor to Prophet Mohammed. On August 4th, President Obama authorizes airstrikes in Iraq to prevent the fall of Erbil. (John, 2015) During the next few months ISIS begins its propaganda movement to spread fear and publicly posts beheadings and executions in the name of Allah. By September 22, US and UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan began launching airstrikes in Syria producing the first coalition military action by the regional powers since the 1991 Gulf War. Public executions continued and on February 15, 2015 ISIS releases a mass genocide of 21 Egyptian Christians. On March 17th, 2015 Boko Haram, another extremist group based from Nigeria pledges its allegiance to ISIS, further expanding its reaches and power. By the end of May ISIS gains control of half of Syria s territory by conquering the ancient city of Palmyra. ISIS continues to terrorize countries like Egypt, Turkey, Libya, Kuwait, Tunisia, Syria. On the 13th of November ISIS kills 129 people in France. On May 12, 2016 ISIS claims responsibility for the killing of 100 people in Baghdad and on July 14, 2016 ISIS claims responsibility for the mass murder of 100 people in Nice. Explanation: The rise of ISIS and other extremist groups in the Middle East sparks primarily from religious differences amongst the varying branches of Islam and also Jewish and Christian religion. From the beginnings of World War I, the Western world s tendency to support the Jewish people s in the Middle East and providing them land and independence sparked major instability in the Muslim world. In 1917, Lord Arthur Balfour, then British Foreign Minister, issued a declaration (the Balfour Declaration) that announced the British Empire s support for the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine. (Global) France and Britain agreed to divide the Ottoman Empire and create independent states as well as splitting Palestine into two and establishing the Jewish country of Israel. This sparked hatred amongst the Muslim countries directed towards Israel and the western world. Intervention from colonial powers in the 19th and 20th century such as Great Britain, France and later in countries like the United States and Russia have in turn 2/7

3 propagated the already established religious and geopolitical conflict surrounding the Middle East. The vast quantity of oil and other natural energy resources in the area makes it very appealing for worldly powers to intervene. In the last few decades and presently to maintain superiority, control and influence over the region, the West has placed corrupt Arab leaders into positions of power and supported the overthrow of those that are not seen as favorable. (Global) What this does is create power vacuums. When these regional national leaders are chosen by international powers the people are quick to eliminate them and this empty political space will be filled by extremists unless governments like the United States and others build strong local forces that can suppress terrorist groups and warlords both. (Ignatius) Poor efforts to restructure and re stabilize countries that have just been in war makes this a constant cycle of corruption-intervention-short term stability and so on. The promise that ISIS gives is to enact a new strong government that favours the sunni is why people join their cause. By swaying the Sunni believers of the Islamic faith, which are the majority (85% and 90%). (News) ISIS nears its aspiration of becoming a state. That and an estimated $1 million to $3 million a day on oil sales as revenue by selling well below market price (Laub) give ISIS the necessary resource to continue spreading fear amongst non believers and encouraging those in the Sunni branch of Islam to join their cause. The main issue is that governments are accustomed to thinking of religious militants as networks of terrorists, saboteurs, assassins and opportunists hiding among the population quintessential non-state actors, fighting the state. These ideas are obsolete against ISIS. ISIS is no mere militia; in its territory, it is the state. I ts control of vast territory and resources make it arguably the most powerful religious militant group in modern history. (Itani) Therefore, by being state it must abide to certain obligations like public and social services to the population. These services include water services, law enforcement, health care, dispute resolution, employment, education and public outreach. (Istani) All of this requires money and facilities, which ISIS is not afraid to hide. This provides vulnerability to ISIS and areas of possible exploitation that could end with ISIS. ISIS is adaptive, creative and ambitious. By contrast, the international community s response has been rigid, predictable and unimaginative. If it continues to see and treat ISIS as simply a terrorist group, the international community will forever be playing defense, which ISIS can happily live with, until it no longer has to and can go on the offensive abroad. (Itani) III. Past UN Actions on Combating the rise of ISIS On 2014, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 2170; 3/7

4 Through the unanimous adoption of resolution 2170 (2014), under the binding Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council condemned in the strongest terms what it called gross, systematic and widespread abuse of human rights by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) and Al-Nusra Front. In an annex to the text, it named the individuals subject to the travel restrictions, asset freezes and other measures targeted at Al-Qaida affiliates. [Abu Bakr al-baghdadi, leader of ISIL, was not among the six because he has been listed since 2011]. It called on Member States to take national measures to prevent fighters from travelling from their soil to join the groups, reiterating obligations under previous counter-terrorism resolutions to prevent the movement of terrorists, as well as their supply with arms or financial support. It expressed readiness to consider putting on the sanctions list those who facilitated the recruitment and travel of foreign fighters. Although ISIS had been officially decreed a global issue requiring full international cooperation previously, no more than sanctions and regional control was imposed on the organization/state. However, on November 20, After France issued an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council ( UNSC ) due to the Paris terror attacks that killed 129 people. The resolution #2249 of the UNSC was unanimously adopted; it stated The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant constitutes a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security,. (The Guardian, 2015); Calls upon Member States that have the capacity to do so to take all necessary measures, in compliance with international law, in particular with the United Nations Charter, as well as international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, on the territory under the control of ISIL also known as Da esh, in Syria and Iraq, to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by ISIL also known as Da esh as well as ANF, and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with Al Qaeda, and other terrorist groups, as designated by the United Nations Security Council, and as may further be agreed by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and endorsed by the UN Security Council, pursuant to the Statement of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) of 14 November, and to eradicate the safe haven they have established over significant parts of Iraq and Syria; (United Nations Resolution 2249) 4/7

5 And stating that the UNSC Decides to remain seized of the matter. (United Nations Resolution 2249) On September 22, United States Secretary of state John Kerry issued a petition to establish a no fly zone in Syria in areas where ISIS and other rebel groups are located. I believe that to restore credibility to the process, we must move forward to try to immediately ground all aircraft flying in those key areas in order to deescalate the situation and give a chance for humanitarian assistance to flow unimpeded, Kerry told the Security Council meeting. (Auken, 2016) The Syrian government withdrew the ceasefire when US officials attacked a Syrian army outpost killing 90 and injuring 100 (Auken, 2016) IV. Useful links for research General country Research "Model UN Research." Best Delegate RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. "Contact CIA." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Committee Links "Presentation of the Arab League - Arab League - Beste Singlebörsen." Arab League Beste Singlebrsen Im Vergleich. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept News, BBC. "Profile: Arab League." BBC News. N.p., n.d. Topic Links/Links used for Research "Presentation of the Arab League - Arab League - Beste Singlebörsen." Arab League Beste Singlebrsen Im Vergleich. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept /7

6 News, BBC. "Profile: Arab League." BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept Nationsonline.org, Klaus Kästle -. " Arab League ا ) ا ول )." Arab League. N.p., n.d. ZergNet, By. "A Brief History of ISIS." A Brief History of ISIS. N.p., Web. 26 Sept John, Tara. "This Timeline Shows the Rise of ISIS." Time. Time, 9 Oct Silverman, Robert. "Missouri State Quarterback Allegedly Broke A Dog s Jaw." Vocativ Raquo. N.p., Web. 26 Sept Glenn, By Cameron. "Timeline: Rise and Spread of the Islamic State." Wilson Center. N.p., 5 July Ignatius, David. "How ISIS Spread in the Middle East And How to Stop It." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. ed-syria-iraq/412042/ Foster, Alice. "Terror Attacks Timeline: From Paris and Brussels Terror to Most Recent Attacks in Europe." Daily Express World RSS. N.p., Web. 27 Sept ance-brussels-europe-isis-killings-germany-dates-terrorism "The Middle East Conflict-a Brief Background." - Global Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept /7

7 ackground News, BBC. "Sunnis and Shia in the Middle East." BBC News. N.p., 19 Dec Fantz, Ashley. "How ISIS Makes (and Takes) Money." CNN. Cable News Network, 20 Feb Laub, Zachary. "The Islamic State." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 10 Aug Itani, Faysal. "To Defeat ISIS, We Must Treat It Like a State." Time. Time, 4 Aug "Security Council Unanimously Calls on UN Members to Fight Isis." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 21 Nov mber-states-to-join-fight-against-isis "Resolution 2249 (2015)." United Nations Security Council. N.p., 20 Nov Auken, Bill Van. "World Socialist Web Site." US Pushes for "no Fly" Zone as Syrian Conflict Escalates -. N.p., 22 Sept /7

Assessing ISIS one Year Later

University of Central Lancashire From the SelectedWorks of Zenonas Tziarras June, 2015 Assessing ISIS one Year Later Zenonas Tziarras, University of Warwick Available at: https://works.bepress.com/zenonas_tziarras/42/