ECH 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Peremptory Norm, United Nations Convention Against Torture
Document Summary
Defections from their ranks continue to increase. Difficulty to extract money from the battlefield (oil, ransom, sex slave & trade) Strategy of escalating provocations: expanding operations outside their traditional theatres of operation, from the near enemy to the far enemy. The islamic state paradox: as a state it can be attacked and defeated, at least temporarily, but it reinforces its status, the more it shrinks, more dangers it becomes to the west. Isis has at least tens of thousands of fighters, most of whom are battle-tested, including thousands of foreign fighters: aq had 1000 in 2001. 10 times more foreign fighters than in afghanistan in 1980s. Isis has still a safe haven and tens of millions of dollars in reserve, and more likely hundreds of millions. 571 nationals/residents in syria and iraq (197 women, 85 minors) 245 returnees and 141 dead.