ISIS ideology, targeting, tactics, and threat to U.S. homeland security

ISIS" Terrorist Group and DHS Policies

This section explores the profile of ISIS terrorist organization that threatens the U.S. homeland. The profile includes a discussion of the group's ideology, targeting, tactics, capability, and overall goals; an analysis of attacks, and propaganda released by the group.

Ideology

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is an Islamic terrorist movement that has captured news headlines for their constant violence they continue to spread across the world. It is commonly recognized as an extremist Sunni political-religious body within Islam that looks to recover the golden regime of the beginning of Islam (the duration of the prophet Muhammad and the Caliphs who followed him). That is to be done, according to Salafist jihadist belief, by jihad (a holy war) against both inner and exterior opponents. Jihad, according to Salafist jihadism, is the individual responsibility of every Islamic. Al-Qaeda and the international jihad movements (of which ISIS is one) emerged from Salafist jihadism (Stakelbeck, 2015). According to the ISIS idea, Islam's golden period will be renewed through the organization of a supranational Islamic Caliphate made after the eras of the first Caliphs after Muhammad's death. It will be decided by Islamic spiritual law (the sharia), according to its most extreme interpretation. The Caliphate will occur on the ruins of the states in the Middle East after the First World War. Some of them, such as Iraq and Syria, where ISIS functions, are in the procedure for disintegrating in the wake of the uprising in the Middle East region, developing positive circumstances for the vision of an Islamic Caliphate.

Targeting

ISIS is currently engaged in soft-target attacks such as the killing of one Canadian soldier in non-combat situations and the 17-hour cafe siege in Australia. Today, hitting soft targets has become a primary part of the group's conventional working process (Council & Zenko, 2015). It strikes back against the worldwide air strategy focusing on the Islamic States in its Mesopotamian stronghold and aims to show its energy to prospective recruits. The primary objective of attacking the so-called soft targets is to deter and intimidate by predicting that financial interests, organizations and gradually the public will force the (Obama) management into forgoing its air strategies in Iraq and Syria (FoxNews.com). Soft-target strikes in locations like Libya, Sinai or Afghanistan, are very important for them to say that they have power and that the loss of Kobani and similar areas does not make much of a change. With the occurrence of soft-target strikes supposed to increase, security experts warn that Western and American travelers should pay serious attention to State Division traveling advisories (Stakelbeck, 2015).

Tactics

Currently, ISIS is an army movement that is no longer performing terrorist actions specifically but is performing conventional army functions in company and battalion structures, which was not the case in conventional al-Qaida way of war. ISIS has been fighting Iraqi army roles with company or battalion-size structures to get rid of cities and city settlements, and then keep and then develop those settlements. This clear-hold-build tactic is amazingly the counterinsurgency technique used by coalition forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I mean at this time remarkably and paradoxically ISIS battles with the same techniques we battled in Afghanistan and Iraq to realize the goal of territorial control. Put in a different way, ISIS has been battling as the U.S. battled against the Sunni insurgency in 2006 by imitating their techniques (Council & Zenko, 2015).

For ISIS, the basic tactic is to make an unexpected strike, cause highest possible accidents and spread worry before withdrawing and without incurring great losses. Later, they wait for the forces and unfriendly residents to leave or run away from the specific area. This aim for me describes the use of extreme violence and the distribution of horrible videos and pictures. In this sense, their use of violence is unselective one but a strategic one, providing to the objective of creating a sterile atmosphere. Simply, their aim is to drive the unwanted out of the taken areas and to build a "sterile" environment in sectarian conditions in the managed areas. This technique provides ISIS a submissive people and thus renders the holding stage easier to achieve. This strategic application of intimidation and fear to not completely for propaganda reasons but also for managing the territory taken is another dynamic that has gone unnoticed since 9/11.

As well, ISIS is pursuing a phased campaign style. It has skillfully managed to build stability between the phased strategy styles and maintained the momentum of warfare (Stakelbeck, 2015). This could only be obtained with heightened situational and tactical attention and with the adoption of centered preparing and de-centered implementation. ISIS is efficient at this: a powerful sign of a unified, consistent leadership framework that rules from the top down. It shows that while the provinces may have the independence to act as they wish in some regards, ISIS has a central control framework for its military tactic that surpasses all of the Iraq's regional military command. But as Americans are not efficient at collecting human intellect in the ISIS taken settlements because they could easily be found, the U.S. Homeland Security is away from working on this and only depending on intellect streaming from air reconnaissance.

Capability

ISIS has taken governments and regional military observers by surprise when it worked its way from an individual terror movement into a single, successful fighting force. Henceforth, the organization has captured swaths of land in both Syria and Iraq, as an effort to re-create an Islamic empire old world ideal. Syria and Ira q government forces have achieved little to reclaim lost territory, and there is an apparent vacuum left by U.S. forces (Stakelbeck, 2015). Though ISIS lacks any air power, it has claimed a series of Iraq's stocks of American, Chinese and Soviet-originated equipment. This has resulted in a ragtag organization of fighters with an equally ragtag array of weapons providing heightened tactical flexibility to fight their organized foes. In spite of coalition air attacks against their positions and sources of funds, ISIS is still the greatest threat to global stability.

Goals

The goal of ISIS is to develop an Islamic Emirate that extends through Syria and Iraq (Council & Zenko, 2015). This implies that it has a territorial goal. This goal is also expansionist and is executed via military conquest not completely through terrorists' techniques. That is why ISIS is defined as a military network because ISIS's huge technique relies on military superiority to control captured terrains by conquering state security. However, the ISIS kind of combat brings together and hybridizes terrorism, guerilla combat, and traditional combat. This attribute makes ISIS a new breed. When looking at its tactics, it is hard to tell that Iraq's al-Qaida is the predecessor of ISIS. The current ISIS fighting style clearly shows that ISIS is known for a cadre of former Saddam-era army authorities who know the army landscape and demographic features in Iraq as their own and how to use it. For me, the army technique design showed by ISIS over the last two years holds the trademark of several commanders because subsequent strategies have continually confirmed distribution, scope, timing, and deception as overarching strategic features.

Attacks and propaganda

Newsletters, billboards, big-screens, radio stations, murals, and leaflets are common tools used by ISIS in spreading propaganda (Duncan, 2004). ISIS is known for deluding the citizens of its area false information showing them as succeeding in their fights even when they are not. Their 'success has made people believe them to the extent of supporting their quest and ideology in Syria and Iraq. With the desire to brainwash them completely, the terror group has established strategic media with the inhabitants' proximity locations it manages to increase the visibility of its propaganda to individuals. The media centers are amazingly high-tech. People can publish their content or download materials from devices that have built-in spots for flash drives and SIM cards. Large flat-screen TVs erected in public areas show horrible beheading video clips together with utopia scenes. A group of activists compared the displays that ISIS has placed in main areas of the town to New York's Time Square.

As the terror group desires to reach as many people as possible within a short time, it is known for using old methods of spreading information from a sound system on trucks and hosting public beheadings (Duncan, 2004). In the caliphate, there is wall-to-wall propaganda. It resembles the Northern Korea. It obscures the facts of life, tempering discontent. It becomes an avenue of stabilizing and ongoing control. Propaganda also enhances the popularity of the ISIS brand (Council & Zenko, 2015). The movement differentiates itself from other jihadist groups and enemy companies like al-Qaeda by launching itself as a legal government that offers services (like policing, trash collection and education) to the individuals of the caliphate. Couple with public execution via shooting and beheading, ISIS maximizes on the Internet access to restrict exposure to information from the external world. Following such tactical operations of the ISIS, the following is the current homeland security Policy against ISIS.

Counterterrorism policy

The United States is endowed with unmatched freedom, openness and opportunity -- fundamentals of the U. S way of life (Duncan, 2004). Our major terrorist enemies -- ISIS, its associates, and those motivated by them -- seek to eliminate this way of life. ISIS' planning against our Country, for instance, concentrates on popular infrastructure, political and economic targets designed to generate mass casualties, visually dramatic devastation, significant financial damage, fear, and loss of confidence in government among our population. Disastrous events, such as mishaps and fabricated accidents, also can generate similar harmful repercussions that require an effective and synchronized nationwide attempt. The U.S., through a serious nationwide attempt that galvanizes the strengths and abilities of Federal, State, and local governments will work to obtain a safe and protected Country that maintains our way of life as a free, flourishing, and pleasant America. To realize this vision, the U. S homeland security will use all equipment of nationwide power and impact. These include information, diplomatic, military, financial, economic, intellect, and law administration. The aim is to obtain our goals to prevent and disrupt ISIS attacks; protect the U.S. people, critical facilities, and key resources; and react to and get over occurrences that do occur. The policy is important as it creates, enhances, and converts the foundations, systems, components, and organizations over the long-term with the aim of enhancing the country's security apparatus (The A. S. P. I. 2015).

Prevent and Disrupt Terrorist Attacks

Following the Sept 11 strikes, the U. S, together with allies across the world, has fought an undeniable War on ISIS to both hold the criminals responsible and limit the recurrence of atrocities whether committed in the U.S. or abroad. The modified Nationwide Technique for Fighting ISIS launched in Sept 2006 is comprehensive in elaborating the government's commitment to annihilating ISIS (Stakelbeck, 2015). Currently, DHS is working to avoid strikes by ISIS, limiting the access of WMDs in some states and terrorists seeking to use them, eradicating the possible support and possible hideouts, and strategizing on helping countries that appear weakened by ISIS. Although it appears that ISIS is strong with the use of it propaganda machinery, DHS will not relent in ensuring that U.S. anti-terror policy is executed fully. Ideally, the option of enhancing democracy as the remedy to the ideology of ISIS appears ideal and a long-term solution for winning the War on the movement (The A. S. P. I. 2015). To disrupt and prevent ISIS strikes in the U. S, we will work to refuse terrorists, terrorist-related weaponry, and materials access in local and global boundaries, disrupt their ability to function within our boundaries, and stop the appearance of aggressive Islamic radicalization to refuse terrorists future recruits and beat homegrown extremism.

Deny ISIS Weapons and Other Materials

Denying ISIS and allies the capability to travel worldwide and within our boundaries, seriously prevents their efficiency (Sauter & Carafano, 2005). By preventing ISIS and their implements of devastation from coming into the U. S, we restrict their capability to recognize and survey potential targets, conduct planning, and release a strike within our Country. The Homeland Security strategy to combat ISIS travel and Maritime security strategy is timely and helpful in boosting the counter-terrorism initiatives. It is also important to appreciate increased document and travel security coupled with enhanced information sharing with our partners and Interpol. The meticulous screening of U.S. visitors and even freight has forced ISIS to try to integrate its agents in all areas that appear to lock them out from harming our citizens. They also remain flexible, taking advantage of recognized weak points in our powerful travel system and using illegal means to evade our boundary and transport security. We will beat ISIS's initiatives to infiltrate our Country while continuing to foster the efficient and reliable flow of goods, people and services across our boundaries that are essential to U.S. economic prosperity and openness.

Disrupting ISIS and their Capacity

The U. S and its associates and companions are fighting ISIS and their systems in an offer of direct and ongoing action to limit their operation and existence globally. We are on the violation at home, too -- taking the battle to an opponent that uses our open and diverse community, conceals and seek to strike us from within (Sauter & Carafano, 2005). Utilizing our Nation's Homeland Security connections with dedicated allies across the world, we will work to locate terrorists and enemy action within our boundaries and take instant and effective steps to reduce the extent of their actions and businesses. The Government must ensure that the Homeland Security Department has the most appropriate and necessary legal resources to achieve these goals while protecting the civil liberties and rights of all citizens.

Identify and uncover ISIS Activities

To locate ISIS and their actions against the backdrop of America's highly mobile, powerful, and varied society, we must obtain domain knowledge of the events, actions, and styles that occur throughout our cyber domains, land, air, maritime and space. As a multi-dimensional process, associates throughout the entire law administration community must continue to improve their baseline knowledge of their operating surroundings (Sauter & Carafano, 2005). These include the people, the terrain, and the daily and every week rhythm of events and activities. The monitoring of trends involving this terror group is essential in recognizing their flaws and diversions that could indicate the targets and possible attacks involving U.S.' interest. The reporting of uncommon or dubious action by private industry associates and a cautious public has been helpful in this front. Uncovering ISIS and discovering terror action and planning require a greater knowledge of how suspicious actions at the local level correspond with the strategies adopted. Ideally. The administrative and intellectual departments must have specific information about DHS's enemies including aspects like their capabilities, intentions, and sources of support, identities and mode of operation. This information must be evaluated against a current strategic risk picture that is constantly incorporated in the national intellect.

Disrupt ISIS and their activities and networks

With the desire to eliminate their actions across the communities, our local, state, federal and Tribe law administration regulators will work together to examine, disrupt, and preempt ISIS activity and refuse terrorist capability to function effectively within our boundaries. This means that all essential elements critical to ISIS' success must be targeted and severed. For example, investigating, arresting and taking others appropriate legal actions against ISIS' leaders, agents, and sympathizers may be a helpful strategy. This may extend to include seizing or freezing their funding sources besides interdicting their financing and transfer systems. The focus extends to include other criminal actions and other enemy financing strategies that they might opt to use accomplishing their activities (Council & Zenko, 2015).

Preventing Extremism in the U.S.

The arrest and prosecution within the U.S. of a small number of ISIS extremists show that the country is highly predisposed to the activities of this group within the U.S. Potential factors for radicalization within Islamic American communities include perceptions or feelings of discrimination that later cause withdrawal from community and mistrust of the government; views of economic and governmental inequalities; and discontentment with foreign and local U.S. policies considered as aggressive to Muslims. Avoiding and interfering with radicalization requires some serious commitment including cooperation of various law enforcement agencies. Although DHS' Technique concentrates on preventing homegrown violent ISIS extremism, the management recognizes that ISIS and their violent extremist behavior can occur in many other communities, faiths, or persuasions. In accordance, our Technique can be properly designed to address a variety of domestic groups and communities whose members may be vulnerable to radicalization (Sauter & Carafano, 2005).

Countering Radicalization

The sources of aggressive extremism rely on access to targeted areas to spread and inculcate their ideology (Stakelbeck, 2015). Authorities, therefore, must proceed to recognize and deal with types of aggressive extremist radicalization in the Country. Surprisingly, radicalization appears to be gaining root U.S. correctional facilities and jails but DHS must proceed to recognize other areas aggressive propagators manipulate within the U. S, internationally, and on the web. With the desire to reverse types of radicalization, DHS' management will proceed to assist community and grassroots projects that openly condemn violence in common and particular functions of fear whenever and wherever they happen. This will include debunking the terrorist argument that the U.S. is at war with Islam, and reverse all types of propaganda that change painting the policy in a bad light by openly communicating them and their significance. This includes showing that they are significant in creating an environment safe for all American citizens. We also will assist grassroots and community initiatives to promote the principles of citizenship, democracy, religious tolerance, incorporation and the security besides increasing the collaboration involving Tribe, State, and Government jail authorities and Islamic communities to thwart radicalization in jails.

It is conclusive that ISIS is a dangerous terror group bent on harming U.S. interests in whatever ways possible. Although their operational models appear unpredictable, the DHS must always strive to limit them. The management (DHS') must always be ahead if all they intend to guarantee the security of U.S.' citizens within and abroad. Strategies must focus on limiting the spread of their ideology and severing their tactics and propaganda networks.