Investigating Syria and Afghanistan

Syria

Image: Syria (orthographic projection) - L'Américain © Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

• Despite the terrible situation in Libya Syria has become far worse.

• President Assad has been in control of Syria since 2000.
  • He took charge when his father died.
  • His father had been in control since 1970.

• Living conditions in Syria were poor and there was little freedom.

• Things were better for some religious groups and worse for others.
  • The Assad government and supporters mostly follow Shia Islam.
  • The Opposition Forces mostly follow Sunni Islam.

• Most Kurds follow Sunni Islam but some follow Shia Islam. The Kurdish language and culture is more important than religion.

• The al-Nusra Front which is part of the al-Qaeda international terror group.

• So called Islamic State/ISIL began as a Jihadist group in Afghanistan.
  • It was loyal to al-Qaeda.
  • It joined the insurgency in Iraq in 2003 becoming responsible for many atrocities.
  • It has now spread into Syria.

Image: Syrian Civil War - Spesh531 © Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license 

• Since 2011 Syria has suffered appalling conditions and many atrocities as part of the conflict including use of chemical weapons, murder, torture and rape.

• This made worse by the way in which other countries support different sides.
  • The Assad Government is supported by Russia, Iraq and Iran.
  • The Syrian National Coalition is supported by 17 countries including the UK, USA, France and most of the Arab League countries.
  • Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar however openly support the al-Nusra Front.

• In Syria most power, water and food supplies have been lost.

Image: Syrian refugees in the Middle East map - Furfur © Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license

• On top of this:
  • Over 7.6 million people have been internally displaced within Syria.
  • Over 5 million more have been displaced into neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait & Egypt.
  • Only a few hundred thousand have actually attempted to reach Europe as refugees which considering the scale of the horror is quite a small number.

So Called Islamic State/ISIL

Most people use ‘so called’ as it would not be acceptable to give this group the level of respect due to a state.

Names

• English
  • Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
  • Islamic State of Syria (ISIS)
  • IS (Islamic State)

• Arabic
  
  • Daesh

• Began in 1999 in Afghanistan.

• Funded by al-Qaeda.

• In 2003 it joined the Iraq insurgency against the new Iraq government and the coalition.

• By 2015 it has control:
  • Of large areas across the border of Iraq and Syria.
  • It controls parts of Libya
  • Afghanistan
  • Sinai (Egypt)
  • Parts of Nigeria (through Boko Haram).

• Many terrorist groups have joined (mostly switching from al-Qaeda) as such they are spreading quickly. 

This group believes in the murder the every human being that does not accept their version of Islam.

• People have joined so called ISIL from around the globe including Wales. Despite terrible things like:
  • Slavery
  • Mass murder
  • Torture
  • Beheadings:
    • In 2014 over 100 foreign recruits were reported to have been beheaded by ISIL for trying to leave the city of Raqqa.

• Use of social media allows radicalisation within our homes. 

• The group has an army trying to recruit online;
  • Everyone must look after their school friends;
  • If they see signs of support for this organisation they should be helped by:
    • Speaking to teachers
    • Family members
    • Community leaders. 

Many recruits try to leave after joining; some escape but those captured such as the 100+ in Raqqa are beheaded.

Afghanistan

Image: Afghanistan (orthographic projection) - Shahid Parvez © GNU Free Documentation License, version 1.2

• Afghanistan is bordered by:
  • Pakistan
  • Iran
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uzbekistan
  • Tajikistan
  • China.

• In 1978 there was a communist revolution in Afghanistan. 

• Extremist fighters went to Afghanistan to fight a ‘holy war’ or Jihad against the Afghanistan communist government. 

• In 1979 the communist Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and a war killing over 1,000,000 people followed. 

• Tens of thousands of fighters from around the Islamic went to join the ‘Jihad’. 

• One such wealthy fighter was Osama Bin Laden from Saudi Arabia who set up al-Qaeda.

• He also helped start what is now called so called Islamic State/ISIL.

Image: Osama bin Laden - Hamid Mir © Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

• In 1989 Soviet forces withdrew from Afghanistan and by 1992 the communists were defeated. 

• There then followed a further civil war between different groups of Jihadist fighters in which another 400,000 were killed. 

• By 1996 one group the Taliban won and ruled based on their own strict interpretation of Islam.

• Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda movement continued to operate alongside the Taliban.

• In 2001 al-Qaeda carried out the September 11^th attacks on the USA.

Image: National Park Service 9-11 Statue of Liberty and WTC fire - National Park Service © Public Domain

Image: September 17 2001 - U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Eric J. Tilford © Public Domain

• This led to the ‘War on Terror’ and the invasion of Afghanistan by a coalition including the UK and USA.

British Memorial Wall Afghanistan

Image: Camp Bastion Memorial Wall Vigil MOD - Cpl Daniel Wiepen/MOD © OGL (Open Government License)

• Despite a quick victory in 2001 peace has been difficult.

• Two RAF deaths in October 2015 bring the British Military losses to 456 in the conflict.

• There have been many Welsh losses; even in 2015.

• The Taliban continues to fight against Afghan government forces.

• So called Islamic State/ISIL is now controlling areas as it recruits members of the Taliban.

 

Other articles you may find of interest, Mexico to USA migration, Migration in the UK and Making Decisions - The Migrant Crisis.