The fight against IS: Positive turning points

(Baonghean) - Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari yesterday emphasized that the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) could be defeated before 2016. This statement showed that the fight against IS is gaining important victories as the intensity of airstrikes by the US-led international coalition continues to increase. In addition, the participation of Iran and Turkey and the fighting strength of the Syrian government army are pushing IS into a state of siege and weakening. Is the war turning to a new turning point?

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Joafari.

It is no coincidence that Iraqi Foreign Minister al-Jaafari "confidently" emphasized the end of the war against IS as above. Previously, IS had become a nightmare not only for the Middle East but also for the whole world, when it expanded its occupied areas in Iraq and Syria, directly threatening the survival of these two countries. Not only that, IS also received support from gunmen from the West, the Taliban in Pakistan... causing its strength to increase rapidly. However, IS is considered a brutal organization when it has massacred thousands of people, issued harsh laws even for Muslims in the areas it occupies, so it often encounters strong resistance. IS has been listed by many countries as a dangerous terrorist organization that needs to be destroyed. Recently, the war against IS by international forces has been gaining many victories, at the same time, IS attacks have become much weaker than before.

There are many reasons why the IS force is currently significantly weakened. First of all, IS itself has weakened itself, when it does not receive support from the people in the areas it occupies. The Kurds were the first to directly face the threat from IS, they stood up to resist strongly with outside help. Many IS attacks have been stopped by the Kurds and the Kurdish territory in Iraq is still maintained. In addition, the Iraqi Government Army and the Syrian Government Army are playing an increasingly important role, directly repelling IS attacks. In addition, the support of Iran, or recently Turkey, has contributed to further weakening IS. The fierce airstrikes of the US and coalition forces are considered one of the key reasons why IS has suffered significant losses. According to General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, recent coalition airstrikes have destroyed many IS oil facilities, command centers, training and logistics in both Iraq and Syria. Thanks to the coalition's actions, IS is becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate forces and strength to move in convoys and conduct coordinated attacks.

The current war against IS has been expanding and pushing IS into a situation where it is being squeezed between increasingly tight sieges. Iran recently confirmed that it has conducted airstrikes against IS, and Turkey, under pressure from the US and the West, has also agreed to create conditions for the Kurds and the coalition in this war. The war may be entering a new phase, potentially more fierce, but recent developments have shown that IS is no longer the terrible threat it was a few months ago. The Syrian government army has just stopped IS attacks at the Deir al-Zor airbase, and the Iraqi army has proactively established a special force of 10,000 people to prepare to attack and retake Mosul province. In addition, the US-led coalition continues to increase airstrikes against IS, and countries outside the coalition such as Iran are also participating in the fight against IS... All of these factors are becoming sharp arrows aimed at IS. Therefore, it can be said that the fight against IS is a common fight not only for countries in the Middle East but has become a fight of the international community against terrorism, an important factor to completely destroy IS and end this war soon.

Nguyen Cao Bien