Growing Concerns of an Islamic State Resurgence

Despite the significant setbacks the Islamic State has experienced, including the loss of virtually all of the territory it once claimed for its “caliphate,” homeland security officials and experts have warned about the possibility of a resurgence from the group. Over the summer, for example, the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point and the United Nations issued reports acknowledging the threat that continued to be posed by the group and the potential for it to reemerge. The first signs of a resurgence may be appearing in Iraq, where observers warn that Iraqi militias’ harsh and unfair treatment of locals in towns that were liberated from the Islamic State may fuel resentment and support for the group. Iraq’s new prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, has shown little sign of wanting to rein in the militias. He has given the militias concessions his predecessor resisted and has repeatedly spoken of them as a valued part of the country’s political and security establishment. “If that is your plan, that’s going to lead to instability,” warned a Western official based in Baghdad. Read the full article at the Washington Post.