By
Sattar Rind
Rumours are circulating that ISIS is successfully going to replace the Taliban in Afghanistan in the near future, the latter under great threat of survival at present.
At the same time Pakistan and India will both observe the newly emerging threat of ISIS. Though one cannot be in doubt that both countries are powerful and well equipped to face ISIS, a great loss of lives and other destruction cannot however be ruled out.
Talk of this has emerged following the release of a four minute video by the Afghanistan faction of ISIS in which innocent people are killed by bombing. In the video the ISIS troops are shown riding on horses, their body language clearly conveying the message that they are ready to put the region under threat as a militant related song in Arabic plays in the background.
The region had already been facing the threat of terrorism for a number of years. ISIS is a different phenomenon however and has developed a brutal reputation with an astonishing level of cruelty and torture.
They have burnt men alive and drowned prisoners in metal cages, raping the women, beheading and collectively shooting people. In addition to this ISIS are infamous for the sale of women on the open market and snatching children from their parents in under controlled areas of Syria and Iraq, training them for fighting under the ISIS ideology.
Now however ISIS has released a new video showing off their latest horrific method of committing murder. Filmed in an unknown location in Afghanistan, the ISIS troops are seen putting several explosives in the ground and covering them with mud. Ten prisoners are then blindfolded and led up to where the bombs have been hidden before they are forced to their knees. The murderous ISIS militants in the video set off the charges, killing all prisoners under the accusation of apostasy. This allegation could not be true as in Islamic law it is a great sin and is associated with the death penalty as the ultimate result. How therefore did they survive to that time to be prey for ISIS?
ISIS militants did not bother to cover their faces even, something they used to do in Syria and Iraq. In the past the Taliban were also involved in similar brutality. As they were used to beheading people, following the cutting of the head from the neck, they immediately put acid into it to watch the beheaded head dance, as is widely reported. Despite this, ISIS is still considered as being more cruel.
If this cruelty is not stopped at this point by world powers and is being assumed only a Middle Easern issue or threat to South East Asian countries, it would be nothing but a naive approach.
The question is why are European Countries, the US and UN not taking a solid stand against this rapidly rising threat to world peace? A few air strikes have been taken by the US in Iraq against the ISIS, but it is not enough. The world has to be fully involved and should curb the supporters and financers of the militants.
This also raises the big question of where are ISIS getting heavy weapons to fight and keep control of Syria and Iraq from? Why are the UN not investigating who is purchasing crude oil and fuel or very expensive antiques from ISIS, or who is purchasing women from ISIS and selling them on to be used as sex workers. In addition to this, the smuggling of human organs is another lucrative source of funding for them. Another question that needs to be asked is how is the money actually reaching ISIS? Which banks are involved for the transactions as ISIS had earlier announced a budget of a billion dollars for this year.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, David Cohen accepted that they were the best-funded terrorist organisation the U.S. had ever confronted.
It is another fact that ISIS received funding from governments or private sources in the oil-rich nations of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and Kuwait, this in addition to a large network of private donors, from the Gulf Royalty, businessmen and wealthy families including Parliamentarians of said countries.
The international financial system is being used and many banks such as the Bank of England’s approved financial organisations/institutions, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Saudi Al Rajhi Bank and Royal Dutch banks are just a few in this connection as reported in numerous internationally respected newspapers.
Figures from the Global Financial Integrity estimate that the size of the global illicit flow of goods, guns, people and natural resources is $650bn per annually. This amount relates only to ISIS in Syria and Iraq. One of the terrorist recruiters arrested in Pakistan confessed that he was receiving funds for the recruitment of people directly from the USA .
Besides, a huge amount is involved in the periphery terrorist activities and becomes a blessing opportunity for many. While the world is only watching what is going on in this respect, it is however far more dangerous for world peace.
