ISIS could become an “international movement” if it is forced out of Syria and Iraq, MPs warned on Thursday.
The defence select committee published a report saying there was a danger of ISIS forming local offshoots in Africa and Asia. The report expressed concern that unless there were widespread political reforms in Syria, ISIS would be replaced or re-formed under the banner of other radical Islamist groups.
Reuters – ISIS has urged Muslims to travel to Syria and join its aim of creating a caliphate.
The UK’s strategy to remove ISIS’ territory in Syria and Iraq was a “necessary but not sufficient strategy”, said the report. “If Daesh transforms itself into an international movement or a network of affiliates – like al-Qaeda before it –which can survive the loss of territory, the UK government approach will need to adapt,” it added.
The MPs said there was a “concerning” gap between military efforts and efforts to bring stabilisation. The low priority given to diplomacy and development “does not reassure us about Iraq’s long-term future”, they warned.
The Conservative MP Julian Lewis, who chairs the committee, praised the “substantial progress” made in defeating ISIS in Iraq but said the situation in Syria was “far more complex”.
He said: “Assuming Daesh is squeezed out of both countries, we have to focus too on what happens next – both in other countries to which Daesh may migrate and in Syria especially where there is no shortage of other Islamist groups, just as dangerous, which are planning to take control.”
The defence secretary Michael Fallon, who is currently in Iraq, insisted the UK would not “walk away” once ISIS had been defeated.
“After the defeat of Daesh it [support] is likely to cover areas like further army training, secondly advice on security sector reform, and thirdly work on counter-terrorism,” he said.
