More than any other terrorist organization, ISIS has surpassed the al-Qaeda network and perhaps attracted a wider scope of attention worldwide. The terror even spans across the web with social media sites, such as Twitter, getting their own dosage of ISIS' wrath.
Hillary Clinton's comments on the Islamic miltant group were heard amid escalating worries that ISIS is on their way to take over the town of Kobani in the Syrian border. It seemed like the group remains indifferent and unstoppable despite being targeted by airstrikes from the U.S.
"It's a serious threat because this is the best funded, most professional, expansionist jihadist military force that we have ever seen," said Clinton in the question and answer forum of the Economic Club of Chicago. "This is far more advanced and far richer than al-Qaeda ever was."
A few days ago, Clinton said that the U.S. offensive on ISIS would be sustained in the long term. In August, Clinton openly criticized President Obama, saying that the government has not armed moderate rebels from Syria sooner. "Obama's failure to train moderate Syrian rebels last year left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now filled," said Clinton.
Clinton is not the only one to criticize the Obama administration on the terrorism crisis in Syria. Two weeks since the coalition airstrikes started, diplomats and analysts in Syria and other countries say that the government air raids, which include fatal barrel bombings, have already caused scores of fatalities. Some areas have experienced intensified government attacks, which have been matched nonetheless by rebel operations.
"Obama said a few weeks ago that the U.S. had no strategy yet to fight ISIS. It seems there is still no strategy because the Syria component is missing," said Emile Hokayem of the International Institute of Strategic Studies. "The U.S. has adopted a narrow, counter-terrorism approach that is flawed and counter-productive, and has time after time ignored and denigrated its potential Syrian allies."
When Obama announced the plan to fight the group in Syria last month, Clinton readily gave her support. Her advise that the mission should be intensified is built under the premise that ISIS "will attempt to launch attacks against Western targets if it has the ability to do so."
Clinton, who is also former First Lady of the U.S., is a potential Democratic presidential candidate in the 2016 elections. She graced the Economic Club of Chicago on Oct. 8, where she talked about a range of topics from economic development to early childhood education.
