Pilkington 1

Matthew Pilkington
Professor Bevill
ENGL 1302.06
4 November 2016
Did the absence of Terrorist groups cause ISIS?
The Taliban is most known around the world as the terrorist group that has been breathing
down Americas back for the past 15 years, but just like all other villains they had to get their start
somewhere. It was mid 1980s, Mullah Mohammad Omar lost an eye fighting the Soviet Union,
in 1994 he became the leader of an authoritarian charismatic group. By August 1998 the group
had been linked with Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. These terrorist groups went from one
extreme to another, whether that being the brainwashing of Middle Eastern countries or the
bombings held in the United States. These terrorist groups were doing some of the most
inhumane things the world has ever seen, leaving the world to wonder who would end this
problem. The United States has been in a war with terror ever since the attacks on 9/11. But with
the declining power of these groups and the withdrawing of troops it leaves room for the
emerging of a new supreme power in Middle Eastern countries. The removal of terrorist groups
in Middle Eastern countries, will lead to the reign of another terroristic state, because of the lack
of government control and power.
The Taliban and Al Qaeda were kick started in the Middle East during times of a weak
Middle Eastern government due to war. Osama Bin Laden, once a CIA worker for the United
States became known as the biggest targeted threat the world has ever seen. After multiple
attacks to the United States and other countries the War on Terror was in full effect. Terrorist
defiantly did not operate under reasonable conditions either. Once in power the Taliban became
an authoritarian regime with very hard line views. Islamic punishments including execution and

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loss of hands for crime were introduced (Dugdale). Some might ask what does the Taliban and
Al Qaeda have to do with the beginning of ISIS? Well here is your answer. The group known as
ISIS just didnt form out of anywhere, like any other known weak governing countries there is
going to be the rebels and the law abiding citizens. And for Iraq, Iran and surrounding areas they
have the Government, the Taliban, and now ISIS. The majority of ISIS leaders were once part of
the Taliban and angered with leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. The group started training
soldiers in 2003 after the Taliban took a major blow from the United States military. Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi the leader of ISIS had meet with Osama Bin Laden and decided to only be allies and
not join because they had two different targets. Abu used everything he could to his advantage.
Targeting Taliban recruiting and training centers, killing political figures, and even calling fair
game on civilians. Thus causing the uprising in the brutal and powerful group known as ISIS.
The Terrorist group known as ISIS took control of what the government could not. ISIS
thrives off of brainwashing individuals to strengthen their army, which led to and dominant and
deadly force. ISIS is estimated to have roughly 10,000 soldiers ranging from ages 16 to 25. They
have been known to recruit soldiers using many tactics, one being freeing prisoners and making
them join, others included brainwashing, scare tactics, and believe it or not social media
persuasion. And now we leave our selves trying to figure out if all of this could have been
prevented. Well there wasnt much the United States could actually do to prevent ISIS, because
the fact ISIS got on the inside of the government which viewed to the Americans as innocent
civilians which we could not attack. The United States did what it could with dissolving Taliban,
but little did they know if would spark the beginning of a new elite authoritarian group. Some see
the ISIS taking over the role of one terrorist group but they are wrong, ISIS is spreading there so
called way of life for god, but there tactics show theyre in it for the blood, money and glory.

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ISIS has been misunderstood for linking with Afghanistans to join but this in fact isnt true.In
places where militants in Afghanistan have adopted the Islamic State creed of embracing atrocity
and ruling by fear, their strategy has been to aggressively attack the Taliban, just as in Syria
where the group early on picked fights with more established units affiliated with Al Qaeda
(Goldstein 2). This embracing that idea ISIS isnt only happy with volunteers, they want to be in
control of what once was controlled by government and or Taliban.
ISIS began its reign by trying to seize what the Taliban had lost. The United States
Military did a successful job on containing terrorist groups from growing in size. The United
States began its invasion in Afghanistan in 2001 demanding Osama Bin Laden and the end of
Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The United States relied heavily on allies such as the United Kingdom,
NATO became allies with the United States in 2003 they were successfully driving the Taliban
out of Afghanistan but shortly realized they were just regrouping in surrounding countries. Now
many people had thought as the Taliban and Al Qaeda as the same because of their ethnicity. But
the Taliban used harsh punishment for political power and land, while the Al Qaeda want strict
practice of Islamic teachings and sent punishment to anyone that didnt agree. Most of the world
as worried with terrorist groups spreading vigorously, but the United States drove Taliban out of
Afghanistan in 2001. When a U.S.-led invasion toppled the regime for providing refuge to alQaeda and Osama bin Laden. The Taliban regrouped across the border in Pakistan, where its
central leadership, headed by Mullah Mohammed Omar, leads an insurgency against the
Western-backed government in Kabul. Both the United States and Afghanistan have pursued a
negotiated settlement with the Taliban, but talks have little momentum as international forces
prepare to conclude combat operations in December 2014 and withdraw by the end of 2016
(Laub). Thus meaning the United States successfully had a game plan to drive out terrorist but

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meant they were only left with trying to eliminate them permanently. Some People would just
state that we need to bomb the majority of the middle east but that would kill too many citizens
and cause more harm than help.
ISIS regime began when they saw not only the decline of troops but also western terror
groups power. There is no doubt ISIS saw where they could take advantage to gain control. ISIS
was formed in 1999 but wasnt very powerful or effective until recent years, they tried to gain
control in 2003 but the Taliban was still in control of 90% of what they had in 2001. ISIS didnt
become a true public threat until 2010, when they started to take over Syria. It was estimated that
80 percent of Syrian fighters joined ISIS. ISIS was able to take hold of the area so fast because
they were operating in fields of what some would called uncharted territories. They were
operating in places that werent going to exploit them fast, once they grew in enough size they
went to Fallujah to rebel control. Now the argument here would be that terrorist groups are going
down, reforming, and coming out as a new group but in this case its not true. ISIS is something
the world has never seen before they are killing their own, others, and innocent only to
accomplish wanted political power for religious reigns. They want political power that will never
be accepted with other countries including the United States. Other groups such as the Taliban
and Al Qaeda wanted to spread religion, it was harsh but they only attacked opposing forces. On
the other hand ISIS believes they can become supreme rulers in the Middle East, and the United
States and others are making sure that doesnt happen. After the Talibans years of war against
the American led military coalition and the new Afghanistan security forces, the movements
cohesiveness has increasingly come into question (Shah 1). This info brings us back to the
opening statement that ISIS is trying to take control of old terrorist grounds.

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This paper was to argue the facts of how terrorist groups operate and gain control. The
main focus was on ISIS control after the Talibans regime, This paper proved that the absence of
power by one terrorist group lead to the rise in another, ISIS did so with the most vicious tactics
the world has ever seen. There is thoughts and ideas from some that this could have been
prevented but whats done is done. ISIS is going to continue to gain and control what the Taliban
has lost. Whether the reign of ISIS can be stopped or not will only be told by time.

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Works Cited
Dugdale-Pointon, T. (1 March 2007), The Taliban, Web. Historyofwar.com. Oct 2016.
Goldstein, Joseph. Taliban Face an Insurgent Threat of Their Own. The New York Times, 4
June 2015, TexShare. Oct 2016.
Goldstein, Joseph. Taliban Fissures in Afghanistan Are Seen as an Opening for ISIS. The New
York Times, 21 Jan. 2015, TexShare. Oct 2016.
Laub, Zachary. "The Taliban in Afghanistan." Feb 2014. Council on Foreign Relations. Oct 2016.