Since the formation of the “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” or “ISIS” in 2013, Iraq has become the preferred arena for the group’s militants. Despite the fact that the group’s expansion in Iraq subsided recently and in spite of Iraq’s victory over the group in 2017, the group’s remnants still have high hopes of surviving and expanding in Iraqi territories, even if their hopes are unfounded given the recent developments in the Iraqi scene, which confirm the eventuality of the blood thirsty group’s disappearance in Iraq at least. Hence, the need for serious thought into the upcoming phase, following the group’s departure and elimination, and the active involvement in monitoring the various negative effects and aspects it had on all Iraqis, regardless of their groups, classes and affiliations.
Thus, this study focuses mainly on observing the most significant adverse effects of the group’s presence and impact on Iraqis, since its inception up until our present day. Identifying these adverse effects is of a great importance, as an inevitable first step towards confronting them, assessing the extent of the schisms they introduced in the Iraqi society and working subsequently on treating some of them or saving what could be saved.
Herein lays the importance of this study, in its thorough contribution in identifying the elements of ISIS’s threat whose effects are still inherent or visible in the Iraqi social fabric; this is perhaps the real reason for such a study.
Since it is virtually impossible to count on the good will of terrorist blood thirsty groups – especially ISIS – in benefitting or advancing the societies they infiltrate – the Iraqi society included – a hypothesis is advanced by this study: the presence of the blood thirsty terrorist group ISIS on Iraqi territories did not only have negative impacts but positive aspects as well; through the possibility of investing in ISIS withdrawal from Iraq to better improve the Iraqi scene as a whole.
