Abstract
LL.M. (International Law)
The United Nations Security Council has declared that Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) constitutes an “unprecedented” threat to international peace and security.1 They have indiscriminately killed many people all over the world and have managed to hold a reign of terror over parts of Syria and Iraq, executing Christians, Yazidis, Shi’ite Muslims and fellow Sunni Muslims. They follow an extreme ideology, the aim of which is to bring about global dominance and international governance through mass extermination of civilians who do not abide by their ideas of religious rule.2 ISIS has also gained support from a number of jihadist groups including Boko Haram in Nigeria and Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis in Egypt.3 Both of these groups are now considered official affiliates of ISIS.4 This illustrates how ISIS has managed to spread its dangerous ideology internationally to other groups and exponentially increased the global threat which ISIS poses to peace and security. Irrespective of their legal classification as a rebel or terrorist group, ISIS thrives on being considered as murderers by “apostates” as to them they are fighting in a noble war upholding Islam.5 This is a factor which contributes to making ISIS difficult to defeat because no condemnation makes an impact against the attraction that they hold to extremists.6
The issue of combatting ISIS is current due to the threat which they pose internationally with their ability to co-ordinate bombings and attacks globally – the most notorious to date being the restaurant shootings and the stadium suicide bombings occurring in Paris on 13 November 2015,7 as well as the airport and metro station...