Shock and revulsion

The beheading of American journalist James Foley has exposed, like no other act, the barbarity of the Islamic State (IS) jihadists who are waging a war against the Iraqi government and have overrun a large part of that country.

The murder in cold blood of the journalist, according to the militants, was an act of revenge against the US which had launched air strikes against it in Iraq.  Its act has created shock and revulsion not only in the US and the western countries which are also militarily involved in the fight against it but all over the world.

The US has resumed and scaled up its attacks and the international community is now more aware of the dangerous consequences of an IS victory. The militant group has threatened to kill more hostages, including another journalist, in the coming days.

The IS has killed hundreds of others, including Christians, Yazidis and Muslims in its rampage in the last few weeks. Foley’s killings drew special attention because of the primitive way of execution and because he was a reporter.  An attempt to rescue him and other hostages from captivity had failed.

The US refused to accept the demand for release of a terrorist in its custody or payment of ransom. Ransoms paid to militants or terrorist groups in the past in different situations have not in the long run helped to weaken them.

It is difficult to believe that appeasement will have any effect on the IS, which by its professions and deeds have shown that it is the most brutal among the world’s terrorist groups. Combined with the practice of a retrograde version of Islamism, it poses a real danger not only in the places where its writ runs now but also elsewhere.

It has already started enforcing its strict code of conduct by force in the areas which it controls. It has declared that its goal is to establish its rule first in the entire Islamic world and then extend it. It is considered to have large financial resources and a fighting force consisting of people from many countries.

The person who executed Foley is believed to be a recruit from Britain. It is believed that there are some Indians also, recruited from different parts of the country, among the IS forces. The IS poses a potent threat to Iraq and the world and the killing of Foley has further underlined that.