War on Daesh is Jordan’s war

Two Jordanian political parties issued statements asking the government to withdraw from the American-led coalition against the Islamic State of Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, following the capture of a Jordanian fighter pilot by IS.

These political parties do not realise that the war against Daesh is Jordan’s war. Our armed forces should have single-handedly launched an attack against Baghdadi since he announced, on June 29, 2014, the formation of his “caliphate” and stated openly that Jordan will be one of his targets, following Syria and Iraq.

Taking active measures against Daesh should be a priority.  A policy of waiting for perfidious Baghdadi to start the first strike against Amman is a futile stratagem.

Jordan’s survivability during the last decades has been due to its perceptive analysis of the situation around and figuring out, and taking measures against, potential enemies.

Jordan’s confrontation with Baghdadi dates back to 2006 when his mentor and leader Abu Musab Zarqawi was killed, on June 7, 2006, in a joint operation by American and Jordanian soldiers in Baqouba, Iraq, following the bombing of three Amman hotels in 2005. 

The two political parties expressed worry that Jordan will pay a heavy price by joining the war against IS. 

But more than 40 states are part of the coalition, fighting alongside our soldiers a war that could have been thrust on us alone since Daesh targets Jordan, threatens the homeland, tries to mobilise the nearly 2,000 jihadist salafist Jordanians and claims that 7,000 salafists here are waiting for Baghdadi’s commands.

It might be a stroke of luck that the main two ideologues of jihadist salafism are Jordanians who distanced themselves from Daesh publicly.

Therefore, members of the main line salafist jihadists, nearly 7,000, will not be victims of the Islamic State.

Jordan has been impervious to threats from terrorists since its inception. The more challenges Amman faces, the more galvanised to action the citizens become.

Many observers exaggerate the might of IS, as it serves their political and regional interests. But Baghdadi’s reign in Mosul is temporary, since his organisation was a mere reaction to the marginalisation of Sunnis by Nouri Al Maliki, the prime minister of Iraq then.

Baghdadi boasted to be a protector and avenger for atrocities, persecutions, rapes and murders against Sunni tribes. That way, he secured the alliance of former army officers, grassroots Baath Party members, Naqshabandi Sufi fighters and the average middleclass.

But now, with the slaughter of hundred of Sunnis belonging to Abu Nimer tribe in Anbar, Baghdadi is left alone and bound to fall.