Al Zarqawi Essay

Al-Qaeda had been seen as the most powerful and relevant threat to the United States, specifically since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers. But appearing on most subject matter experts and intelligence community personnel is the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, better known in the press as ISIS. This is a Sunni group that has become more vicious and powerful than any other terrorist group known to us, even more brutal than al-Qaeda itself. This is why it is so imperative for the intelligence community and law enforcement to fully understand and educate themselves on this new enemy for our country (Sprusansky 2014).
To understand the genesis of ISIS, one needs to understand that ISIS evolves around its founder, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Al-Zarqawi was born on October 1966 in a small city to the North of Amman, Jordan, and his real name was Ahmed Fadil al-Khalayleh. He came from humble beginnings, in a crime ridden and poverty stricken town of Zarqa. Zarqawi's father, passed away in 1984, which plunged Zarqawi's family further into poverty. Zarqawi was said to be an unexceptional and defiant student. In early 1980, he left school
Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, claims that “they want to rule now”, and also contends that groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda will typically profess of an Islamic state only to rally political support, but never truly attempted to achieve that objective. Furthermore, a Georgetown University professor, John Esposito, acknowledged that ISIS is willing to enact violence to impose its will and eliminate the infidels that do not agree with their extreme ideology. Their brutality is highlighted when even al-Qaeda is willing to denounce ISIS’ tactics and requested that the group cease all operations in Syria (Sprusansky