Increasing risks in facing IS

New challenges are appearing as the war against Islamic State forces reaches the point where a second phase is required, which involves a military intervention on the ground, as it becomes clear that air strikes will not accomplish the mission objectives.

In recent months, it has become clear that security issues related to regional and international interactions are spreading across the region.

In the past, especially since the Lebanese civil war, conflict was limited to one country, but now we see conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen.

This spread poses new challenges and risks for many other countries. 

Some conflicts are reaching the borders of the Gulf countries, which constitutes a real risk, especially for a country like Bahrain, for example, that suffers from regional interactions.

As political and security challenges grow for major countries like Saudi Arabia, the Gulf is facing a compounded political and security crisis.

With security crises from Yemen to Iraq, as well as in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia’s internal tensions are growing, as it becomes a direct target for IS and other similar groups.

The security threat is spreading and several countries in the region are facing new risks and challenges.

Jordan’s challenges are growing daily. The capture of a Jordanian pilot puts Jordan in direct confrontation with IS.

Jordan is surrounded by crises, with an increasing risk of direct attack by IS on its northern and eastern borders, as the fighting has the potential to spill out of Iraq and Syria. 

There is a real risk of expansion of the crisis across Jordanian borders because of the confusing American strategy in Syria that keeps the crisis going.

Jordan is also facing the potential activation of dormant cells within its borders.

There is no doubt that as the conflict in the region evolves, there are real and growing risks to Jordan’s sovereignty.

amersabaileh@yahoo.com