Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations Sociology & Criminal Justice Summer 2016 United States Interventions: Power Vacuums and the Rise of Extremist Groups Sarah Nicole Pedigo Old Dominion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/sociology_criminaljustice_etds Part of the Criminology Commons, International Law Commons, and the International Relations Commons Recommended Citation Pedigo, Sarah N.. "United States Interventions: Power Vacuums and the Rise of Extremist Groups" (2016). Master of Arts (MA), Thesis, Sociology & Criminal Justice, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/86pc- ex82 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/sociology_criminaljustice_etds/6 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology & Criminal Justice at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNITED STATES INTERVENTIONS: POWER VACUUMS AND THE RISE OF EXTREMIST GROUPS by Sarah Nicole Pedigo B.S. May 2014, Old Dominion University M.A. August 2016, Old Dominion University A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS APPLIED SOCIOLOGY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY August 2016 Approved by: Dawn Rothe (Director) Randy Gainey (Member) Randy Myers (Member) ABSTRACT UNITED STATES INTERVENTIONS: POWER VACUUMS AND THE RISE OF EXTREMIST GROUPS Sarah Nicole Pedigo Old Dominion University, 2016 Director: Dr. Dawn Rothe The purpose of this study is to examine U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and Syria and the rise of violent extremist groups such as ISIS. By utilizing the integrated theory of violations of international criminal laws and the realpolitik theoretical frame, this qualitative case study analysis will explore how the U.S. foreign policy, driven by realpolitik and neo-liberalism in Iraq and Syria, resulted in the rise of violent extremist groups such as ISIS. It was concluded that if the United States were to remove the Assad regime and dismantle the Alawite ruling class as it did with the Hussein regime and the Ba'ath party in Iraq, it would leave Syria with an immediate power vacuum that could easily be filled by Sunni backed extremist groups, including ISIS. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 PURPOSE STATEMENT ..................................................................................................2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................2 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............................................................................................4 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................4 STATE CRIME ..................................................................................................................4 III. METHODS .............................................................................................................................27 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................27 STUDY DESIGN.............................................................................................................. 27 THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS .................................................28 PROCEDURES AND INSTRUMENTATION ...............................................................30 ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................................32 LIMITATIONS .................................................................................................................32 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................33 IV. THEORY ................................................................................................................................34 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................34 THEORY INTEGRATION ..............................................................................................36 V. CASE .......................................................................................................................................39 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................39 IRAQ .................................................................................................................................39 SYRIA ...............................................................................................................................47 THE ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND SYRIA (ISIS).................................................. 52 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................56 VI. ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................58 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................58 IRAQ AND U.S. PRIORITIZATION OF REALPOLITIK AND THE EXERCISE OF GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS AS PRIORITY .......................................................58 SYRIA: THE REPEAT OF REALPOLITIK AND PRIORITIZATION OF GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS.................................................................................. 75 iv Chapter Page REALPOLITIK AND "TRUTH": MERGING THE CASES .........................................83 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 86 VII. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... 88 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................92 VITA ............................................................................................................................................105 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In a recent interview with VICE News, President Obama stated that “ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) is a direct outgrowth of Al Qaeda in Iraq that grew out of our invasion, which is an example of unintended consequences” (Hussain 2015:1). Before the U.S. led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the extremist juggernaut known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was imponderable. In an attempt to retaliate against the invasion, Sunni resistance fighters who opposed the occupation of Iraq by western forces formed a coalition known as Jam'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (TJ). Led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, TJ declared war on Shias in response to their cooperation with western forces that planned attacks in Sunni villages in an attempt to root out Al Qaeda. Subsequently, Zarqawi pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden in 2004 and TJ joined forces with Al Qaeda forming Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). Two years later in 2006, AQI became the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). Finally, once they became involved in the Syrian civil war, ISI branched into Syria and became the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Since the forming of ISIS in 2006, the group has been responsible for countless atrocities ranging from publicized beheadings to meticulously planned mass terror attacks. In the first 8 months of 2014, at least 9,347 Iraqi civilians have been killed and at least 17,386 wounded (Obeidallah 2014). Similarly, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (2015:35) concluded that The impact of the current conflict and acts of terrorism on civilians remains severe and extensive. Since January 2014, acts of violence have killed or wounded tens of thousands of civilians and have displaced over 3 million Iraqis. The U.S. invasion of Iraq prompted the development of anti-occupation coalition groups, which in a matter of years, became the Islamic extremist group known as ISIS. 2 PURPOSE STATEMENT The purpose of this study is to examine U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and Syria and the rise of violent extremist groups such as ISIS. Specifically, this research is designed to examine whether U.S. foreign policies and interventions create power vacuums that allow for and facilitate the rise of terrorist groups vying for power. One central research question will guide this study: How has current U.S. foreign policy, driven by neo-liberalism and realpolitik, resulted in the rise of extremist groups such as ISIS in Iraq and Syria? Given the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and the foreign policy currently being utilized, this study will explore how the U.S. foreign policy, driven by realpolitik and neo-liberalism in Iraq and Syria, resulted in the rise of violent extremist groups such as ISIS. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY By examining the relationship between U.S. foreign policy currently being utilized in Iraq and Afghanistan and the subsequent rise of violent extremist groups such as ISIS, this study may provide a better understanding as to the reasons why