9781422283929

torture and beheadings and other executions. The rule of ISIS has been described as a reign of terror. Those in power strictly enforce crimes against Islam as well, including smoking, alcohol consumption, and sex outside marriage. ISIS has been successful in taking over large parts of Syria and Iraq, including oil fields in Mosul in northern Iraq. Saudi Arabia is an active member of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition. The coalition, including the United States, United Kingdom (UK), UAE, Turkey, and other countries, began air strikes against ISIS forces in Iraq in September 2014. In 2015 air strikes extended to ISIS-controlled areas in Syria. Although Saudi Arabia is too strong for ISIS to consider conquering, it may be an appealing target as the birthplace of Islam and a land rich in oil. Even without ISIS, Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011. In the spring of that year, protests against the government began, and President Bashar al-Assad responded with orders to the military to crush the opposition. These protests grew into a full-blown civil war in which more than 250,000 people are believed to have been killed. UN inspectors confirmed in 2013 that chemical weapons had been used against civilians but did not determine whether rebel or government forces were responsible. The US, the UK, France, and other countries supported the opposition groups. In 2015 Russia intervened in the civil war in support of President Assad and the government. A truce backed by the US and Russia to halt the fighting between the Syrian government and rebel groups began in late February 2016. It was hoped the truce would lead to peace talks.

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