Daesh's Barbarity Case Study

Islamic ‘State’: Why Daesh’s barbarity should not be accepted as a means by which to acquire statehood

1. INTRODUCTION

The rise of Daesh over recent years has been the source of much terror and alarm across the globe. The brutality with which this regime pursues its goal of establishing an Islamic Caliphate has been widely reported and criticised by the western world, and many inhabitants originating from the territory that Daesh has acquired have been forced to either flee their homelands. Western powers, supported by some middle-eastern States, have gradually responded to the threat posed by Daesh through the use of military force. But some commentators have suggested that recognising Daesh’s statehood would be beneficial in our pursuit of the regime’s demise. By comparing Daesh’s characteristics with those required by relevant international instruments,

This opportunity arose subsequent to the bombing campaign and subsequent invasion by United States and her allies against Saddam Hussein’s Sunni regime, resulting in the removal of the dictatorship. Daesh’s goal since its formation has been to establish an Islamic Caliphate across territories that have to date been understood as lands within the borders of Iraq and Syria. By 2014, Islamic State controlled an area comparable to that of contemporary Belgium which contained numerous oil wells and major towns. By this time the group had formally declared the existence of an Islamic Caliphate; a ‘state’ to be governed in what Daesh deemed to be in accordance with Shariah law. Seizing control of territory by force, it was estimated in 2015 that nearly a quarter of Daesh’s military force consisted of foreign fighters who had travelled to Syria or Iraq to help consolidate, gain, and repel attempts by western-backed forces to retake its