ISIS
4 articles filed under this keyword.
Drone Operations by Non-state Actors in the Middle East
Parwar Saeed Saido, Shoker Abobeker Aziz
This study examines the impact of drone technology on the operational capabilities of armed non-state actors (ANSAs) in the Middle East, following 2010; the Middle East entered a new era of conflict, the escalations led to the appearance of new terrorist groups like Islamic state in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and regional competition led to increased involvement of armed groups in the conflicts. Drone technology has extensively contributed to these conflicts through armed non-state actors in the region. The research focuses specifically on Hezbollah and ISIS in drone warfare. It explores how the adoption of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has reshaped traditional paradigms of asymmetric warfare by enhancing reconnaissance, precision strike capabilities, and long-range operations. The research has conducted a comparative analysis between both groups in terms of when Hezbollah, supported by state sponsorship, has developed a structured and technologically sophisticated drone program, whereas ISIS has employed an improvisational, low-cost approach aimed at disrupting enemy forces through innovative tactics. The research indicated how drone technology has significantly increased their reach and precision in targeted strikes, highlighting their ability to project power and adapt to evolving battlefield conditions. Ultimately, the increasing accessibility and deployment of drone technology by (ANSAs) in conflict zones, particularly in the Middle East, poses significant challenges to traditional security paradigms and necessitates a deeper understanding of its impact on asymmetric warfare. The aim of the study is to answer the question of how have Hezbollah and ISIS utilized drone technology to reshape their operational capabilities and asymmetric warfare strategies in the Middle East? The study underscores the growing need for flexible security policies in response to the proliferation of drones beyond state control and their integration into hybrid and irregular warfare strategies.
Volume 13 · Issue 1 · March 2026Enigmatic liberation of Displaced Womanhood in Elif Shafak’s The Bastard of Istanbul (2006) and Gharbi Mustafa’s What Comes with the Dust (2016)
Sawza Qader Fattah, Hawzhen Rashadaddin Ahmed
This study presents a comparative analysis of Elif Shafak’s The Bastard of Istanbul (2006) and Gharbi M. Mustafa’s What Comes with the Dust (2016) to explore how these texts – written by two authors from different genders and ethnic backgrounds – depict displacement as a paradoxical tool for female liberation, giving voices to their ongoing struggles. The research examines that women in these two literary works suffer the pain of unbelonging due to dominant exclusionary discourses and that they seek settlement through self-displacement. By means of a critical framework informed by Third Wave Feminism and the postcolonial discussions, this paper examines womanhood in Turkish, Kurdish, and Armenian patriarchal communities in the texts under analysis. Furthermore, the study establishes historical linkages between female experiences – Armanoush and Nazo – being exposed to atrocities during the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and ISIS attacks on Yezidis in 2014. By means of applying comparative tools of analysis, the study investigates how social and historical legacies shape the representation(s) of women, focusing on their shared experiences of rape, slavery, and abuse across different geographical and cultural landscapes. This research argues that these authors utilize the traumatic experience of displacement not only to expose gendered violence but also to chart a path toward reconstructed identity and hard-won autonomy for their female characters.
Volume 9 · Issue 5 · December 2022Theoretical Analysis of the U.S. Foreign Policy Towards Kurds in Syria After 2011
Zainaddin Mawlood Khidhir
The United States' new foreign policy, which includes abandoning America's Kurdish friends and a new strategy on how the US should execute military interventions, as well as the "America First" ethos, has triggered a humanitarian and military catastrophe for Syrian Kurds. Despite the prevalence of study on American strategy in Syria and towards Syrian Kurds, there is a noticeable lack of comprehensive research explaining and evaluating the growing connections. This paper argues that deciphering these patterns necessitates a deep understanding of regional politics and a thorough engagement with the vast IR research. In this context, it is essential to look at the nature, limitations, and constraints of the Kurdish-US relationship, which is the Kurds' most powerful ally. For the present study, a theoretical framework is chosen to analyse US foreign policy comprehensively. This is a qualitative research report based on a case study. The case for this paper is the United States' foreign policy toward Syrian Kurds, as seen through several international theories, particularly realism and liberalism. The suggested study aims to explain why the US overlooked Syrian Kurds at the start of the Syrian crisis, why the US worked with and backed Syrian Kurds or SDF till 2019, and why the US abandoned or deserted the Syrian Kurds after a foreign policy shift. To sum up, scholarly reports show mixed results, with some claiming that the US decision to abandon Syrian Kurds was well-informed. In contrast, others suggest that if the decision is made without caution, it will do more harm than good to America's long-term ally, who played a critical role in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Volume 7 · Issue 2 · April 2020The Role of New Media in Rising Public Awareness of National Security in Iraqi Kurdistan Region During The War On ISIS
Abdulkhalq Ibrahim Mustaffa, Radwan Ali Khidhir
This study aims to explain the role and impact of news websites in Iraqi Kurdistan region in raising public awareness regarding the dimensions of national security and providing them with important information. In this study the method of content analysis is used to analyzing the news content in (Xendan) website and (K24) website during their coverage of the war on Islamic state. The most important finding in this study are: news websites concerned with different dimensions of national security and the military dimension has received more attention than other dimension.