US President Barack Obama considers that the United States has underestimated the Islamic State, misjudging its rise in Syria. The President stated this in a recent TV interview. He referred to Jim Clapper – James R. Clapper, the current Director of National Intelligence – has underestimated what had been taken place in the civil war ridden country. President Obama hinted that part of the solution the United States has for the situation involves the military.
The Islamic State – previously known as Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham – is an unrecognized state and Sunni group of insurgents active in Iraq and Syria. It claims religious authority over the whole Muslim population of the Earth, and aims to take political control over the whole Muslim-inhabited part of the planet. The IS is considered a terrorist group by the United Nations and the media, and has been designated a foreign terrorist organization in the US, UK and several other countries. IS was accused by Amnesty International ant the United Nations of a series of grave abuses of human rights.
According to President Barack Obama, the IS has taken advantage of the chaos that has taken over Syria in the last few months to reconstitute itself and seize control of large parts of the ungoverned country. Besides underestimating the threat represented by the Islamic State, Obama has also admitted overrating the security forces in Iraq that were quickly overrun by the IS when it took over the Northern city of Mosul.
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Over the weekend, US forces along with its allies have hit IS targets in Syria and Iraq, targeting tanks, refineries and checkpoints held by the organization. Although the strikes had no clear scope, they appear to have been a success. The drones and fighter jets involved in the attack have destroyed an IS safehouse in Baghdad and damaged checkpoints and IS vehicles near Falluja.