A new face of ISIS extremists

I came across a very intriguing article on CNN titled, “ The Changing Face of ISIS”. According to the article, ISIS defectors have seen a change for extremists for years, along with those who study these attacks closely. The attack on Tuesday with the vehicle  crashing into bikers and leaving 8 dead and several injured has shed a light into an increasingly new evidence that there is something that is different about ISIS extremists. 

That enough right there acaught my attention immediately. This is very interesting to me because I recently have discussed this topic in numerous journalism and broadcast classes I am in. There seems to be a common theme lately with who and how these atrocities are preformed. This article goes in depth in explaining the transformation of these extremists and their actions. CNN says, “Whether it is running people over with a vehicle, shooting them with an assault rifle, or detonating a homemade suicide bomb, there is common theme among many of the perpetrators. They weren’t born in the Middle East, but in the nations of the former Soviet Union.” It is scary for me realize that these attackers are starting to become people who give no forewarning sign of such an act. For example, Tuesdays attacker Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov is 29-years-old and came to the United States in 2010. He had earned a green card and according to the article, “was apparently radicalized somewhere along that American route.” 

Another aspect that caught my attention in the “Changing face of ISIS” article was reading how a common way of self radicalization for members is by self interest in jihadist literature and sermons online. For Saipov’s route, whatever it was, he left a letter pledging allegiance to ISIS behind near the rental truck. 

Saipov was a Uzbek, not an Arab. Which is jus one example of the changing face, literally, of an ISIS extremists. Interestingly, this article tells us that attacks like this have been common lately abroad by actors from the post-Soviet sphere. 

Another example of the changing face of ISIS was back in 2015 during the Paris attacks. The writer of this CNN article interviewed a former ISIS operative who had defected from the terror organization. This former operative shared with the reporter that, “The most admired— and feared— contingent of ISIS recruits were the Chechens. This was a reference to not just the citizens of the semiautonomous region of the Russian Federation, but to those who had grown up in the greater Caucasus or various Central Asian republics that attained their independence upon the collapse of the USSR.” This article also informs us that some of the post-Soviet fighters in ISIS are graduates from their countries’ armies or law enforcement bodies (CNN.com). So, it seems to me that this article is definitely suggesting that now we are seeing a shift in who the committers of these horrible atrocities are not just coming from the Middle East, and a large amount from the post-Soviet region.

In all honesty this is quite frightening. Not only can an attack like the ones that have been occurring like these last couple of months, but also these attacks are being committed by those from different regions of the world that have legally been living in our country for a good amount of time. It is horrible to realize that a lot of these conversations are being done via internet. I pray for the families that have been affected by the recent terror attack in Manhattan, and for all who have been affected by this terror organization in the past few months. 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/02/opinions/changing-face-isis-followers-weiss/index.html