The Global Story: Is ISIS having a resurgence in Syria?
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What recent actions has the US military taken regarding ISIS detainees in Syria?
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Hey there, I'm Asma Khalid.
And I'm Tristan Redman, and we're here with a bonus episode for you from the Global Story podcast.
The world order is shifting. Old alliances are fraying and new ones are emerging. Some of this turbulence can be traced to decisions made in the United States. But the US isn't just a cause of the upheaval. Its politics are also a symptom of it.
Every day we focus on one story, looking at how America and the world shape each other.
So we hope you enjoy this episode. And to find more of our show, just search for The Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts. In the past few weeks, the U.S.
Why is there renewed discussion about ISIS in the current geopolitical context?
military has launched a steady stream of airstrikes in Syria. U.S. officials say they're targeting the group known as the Islamic State, ISIS, in part its retaliation for an attack on U.S. forces in the region last December. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth calls new airstrikes tonight in Syria a declaration of vengeance against ISIS terrorists.
The US military has struck more than 50 ISIS targets in the past two hours.
We hit every site flawlessly and we are restoring peace through strength all over the world.
These strikes also come against the backdrop of a recent jailbreak in which more than 100 militants escaped from a prison in Syria, raising fresh questions about the security and fate of ISIS detainees. And so now the U.S. military is in the midst of transferring up to 7,000 prisoners from Syria to Iraq because of instability and infighting. From the BBC, I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. And today on The Global Story is the Islamic State group having a resurgence in Syria. Well, Josh, it's wonderful to have you on the show. I'm a big fan of your work, so thanks for joining us. I appreciate the compliment. You can send me an invoice for that later. Well, can I have you introduce yourself for those who may not be familiar with who you are and what you do?
So I'm an investigative journalist, filmmaker and podcaster. And I've sort of reported on ISIS predominantly since the emergence of the group right through to present day. I was even injured by the group in a suicide bombing back in 2016. Josh, I know you have created these epic series about ISIS. You've done a lot of reporting in the last decade or so when this group was at its height in Syria and Iraq. And the reason I wanted to have you on our show today is because for the last several weeks, I have been getting these email notifications in my inbox from U.S. Central Command talking about strikes on ISIS targets in Syria.
How did ISIS establish its so-called caliphate and what was its impact?
And I had this moment of, well, wait a second, you know, what's going on here? Because President Trump during his first term in the White House had said that ISIS was defeated. And I want to begin with a sort of broad, big picture question, which is why are we talking about ISIS again? So I think the thing to think about ISIS is that they disappeared from the news cycle, right? And everyone kind of forgot about them. But on the ground, they were always still there. Now, granted, that wasn't at the scale that they once was. But they never really went away. And I think, you know, I was just in Damascus actually very recently. And on one of my last nights there, I was having this dinner with a group of Syrian friends.
And while we were there, people's phones started buzzing. And that was because a suicide bombing had gone off. And at that point, I remember watching my friends' faces and they were like, huh, the insurgency has started. And I think this is the key thing.
What was the experience of journalists reporting on ISIS during its peak?
While they disappeared from the headlines, they didn't actually disappear on the ground. Before we get any further into this conversation, I just want to pause for a moment and talk about terminology. You've heard me refer to the group here as ISIS. Some listeners may know it as IS or the so-called Islamic State. And the terminology can be a little confusing here because the group has been described under different names. But regardless of the name, I think it is worth rewinding to 2014.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What recent actions has the US military taken regarding ISIS detainees in Syria?
0:00–1:24
2
Why is there renewed discussion about ISIS in the current geopolitical context?
1:24–3:28
3
How did ISIS establish its so-called caliphate and what was its impact?
3:28–4:28
4
What was the experience of journalists reporting on ISIS during its peak?
4:28–6:21
5
What challenges do women and children face in ISIS detention camps?
6:21–8:29
6
How are ISIS prisons managed and what are the security concerns?
8:29–10:01
7
What is the current state of ISIS and its threat level in Syria?
10:01–11:26
8
What implications do recent US military actions have for the future of ISIS?
11:26–30:52