While the battle for the U.S. presidential election raged last week, you may have missed important developments in a more serious conflict toward which we in the west grow increasingly numb. With violence raging in Syria and Iraq for years and constant dialogue about the future of ISIS in the region, we can try to stay informed but are often unconcerned about a war that seems to have little direct impact on our comfortable lives. In recent developments, Iraqi forces have moved to retake the major city of Mosul from ISIS control. This offensive is predicted to last for many more weeks although the casualty count is already high. Even though this offensive marks huge progress in the fight against ISIS and shows promise in driving back the border of the territory they control, civilians in Mosul have been placed in extreme danger as they become targets of extremist wrath. The fear tactics that ISIS has used to shock the world continue to cause local communities to suffer, and it's important for us to remember the message they send. Not only are these acts of torture and murder violations of human rights in the most serious way, but they communicate one message: if we succeed, you're next. This war is the world's problem, and no country can sit idly by and hope it is resolved by the sacrifice of others.
The assault on Mosul began a month ago, and it progresses slowly and with great danger to both civilians and soldiers as forces have now entered the city. According to the BBC, this offensive involves "50,000 Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Muslim Arab tribesmen and Shia Muslim militiamen, assisted by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers." On Tuesday, ISIS shot 40 civilians in Mosul for supposed crimes of treachery and collaboration with Iraqi forces. Their bodies, dressed in orange clothes, were then reportedly hung from electricity poles around the city. On Wednesday 20 more people were shot, and ISIS has been known to use child soldiers in carrying out executions like this. Out of the 1,792 people who were killed in this area in the last month, 1,120 were civilians. In their attempt to maintain territorial control, ISIS uses civilians as human shields by deliberately placing them near key military targets, resulting in massive casualties. Upwards of a million people could be displaced by the end of this offensive, and by the time the fighting is over most of their homes will be reduced to rubble. As Iraqi forces approached Mosul, they found mass graves which revealed the extent of the horrors citizens face under ISIS rule. Ten miles from the city, one grave discovered by the military revealed 100 decapitated corpses.
ISIS is consistently losing territory, and the legitimacy of the "caliphate" is called into question by the loss of physical land under their control. Even though this extremist group can adapt quickly to changing conditions and enact their evil purposes in a variety of ways, the defeat of ISIS militarily would be a stunning blow to their reputation among jihadists. While it is to be hoped that the offensive against Mosul is an overwhelming success and that the amount of ISIS-controlled territory is significantly diminished in the coming months, this does not relieve the suffering of millions of civilians who live amidst this conflict.This is especially true since the Iraqi government forces are guilty of many of the same crimes against humanity that ISIS commits, so even with a military victory there is no guaranteed safety for citizens. As ISIS seeks to intimidate the world through crimes of attrition and grows angry with the success of the approaching Iraqi army, citizens of Mosul are in the gravest danger. Our prayers should be with them, our goal should be to alleviate their suffering through ending this conflict, and our focus should be supporting sustainable and effective strategies through the aid our nations give to this cause. As the United States comes under new leadership and policies face significant change, we should remember the value of sensible immigration laws. But we should also remember the constant terror ISIS imposes, and the world must be compassionate and recognize that many people flee their homes because the only alternative is certain death.
