Islamic State: ‘The world’s richest terror group’

Insight

Most intelligence estimates refer to the Islamic State as “the world’s richest terror group.” Its influence has quickly spread throughout Iraq and parts of Syria. As the international community struggles to deal with the militant group, a humanitarian crisis continues.

IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate in July, in an effort to differentiate his group from Al Qaeda. The group has also used social media for to recruit new members, even from Western countries.

Although IS has gained a reputation for brutality, U.S. counter-terrorism specialists say that improvements in international anti-terror cooperation are likely to be more effective than they were in the past.

Aside from launching several airstrikes into IS-controlled areas, U.S. President Barack Obama has limited American intervention in the crisis. As for the humanitarian crisis, about 20,000 to 30,000 people from the Yazidi minority group are believed to have fled to Syria to escape the violence. Kurdish military forces have been assisting them to return to northwestern Iraq.

CCTV America’s Jessica Stone reports.

Islamic State: the world's richest terror group

Most intelligence estimates refer to the Islamic State as "the world's richest terror group." Its influence has quickly spread throughout Iraq and parts of Syria. As the international community struggles to deal with the militant group, a humanitarian crisis continues. CCTV America's Jessica Stone reports.

James Carafano, 25-year U.S. army veteran and leader of the Heritage Foundation’s defense and foreign policy team, joined CCTV America for more insight on the challenges of fighting the Islamic State.

Follow James Carafano on Twitter @JJCarafano

Challenges of fighting the Islamic State

Most intelligence estimates refer to the Islamic State as "the world's richest terror group."So what are the challenges of fighting the Islamic State? James Carafano, 25-year U.S. army veteran and leader of the Heritage Foundation's defense and foreign policy team, joined CCTV America for insight on this issue.