Ten years have passed in the US fight against the Islamic State. Now, ‌leaders from the United States and NATO have met in Brussels to have a discussion about the ongoing challenges they face. Recently, Niger kicked the United States troops out of their base that paid attention to fighting terrorism. This decision made it hard for the US to operate in West Africa. In 2021, ‌US military actions have been very limited due to the Taliban’s power becoming dominant. 

Iraq has also asked the United States to lessen its troops and prevent joint operations. 

Will all of these challenges, the US officials stated that the threat from the Islamic State is enhancing, particularly in Africa. People’s attention has shifted to the Russia-Ukraine War and other ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Lloyd Austin, the US Defense Secretary who took the first step in the fight against Islamic State, reminded NATO that this group is still dangerous. And international help is needed to manage the situation. 

US Secretary of State Austin also shed light on some big global challenges. It includes China’s aggressive behavior and Russia’s illegal actions against Ukraine. Along with all of these issues, he also said that focusing on the thread from ISIS is also important. 

Iraq and Syria are under ‌strong control of ISIS. Back in 2014, their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, announced a caliphate. He said that these lands were now under his power. Although ISIS lost its power in Syria and Iraq about five and seven years ago, respectively. They are still making efforts to regain power. 

Recently, they attacked a concert hall in Russia, killing 143 people, and they carried out bombings in Iran that killed nearly 100 people. In another case, a 19-year-old from Austria was planning a suicide attack at a Taylor Swift concert and had pledged loyalty to the leader of ISIS. This shows that ISIS is still a serious threat that we need to pay attention to.

According to Mark Rutte, the NATO Secretary-General, the threat due to terrorism is increasing in this modern age. He pointed out that there are more lone-wolf attacks, where single-person attacks and using new technologies for this purpose. Now, Africa is also under the danger zone, along with the Sahel region. Due to this shift, Africa now has nearly half of all terrorism-related deaths.

In places like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, groups interconnected with al-Qaeda and ISIS have taken the lives of many people and compelled many to flee from their homes. Due to these ongoing conflicts, many people wanted to shift towards Europe. At this time, ‌far-right political parties are becoming popular, causing some European Union countries to strengthen their borders. According to one of the US officials, ISIS is also making efforts to increase its influence in Africa and Central Asia. 

The United States wants to avoid dangers from the Sahel area of Africa by moving south to coastal countries like Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, and Togo, according to an anonymous US official. Despite its importance, this venture is full of difficulties. After Niger’s military government ordered the clearance of around 1,000 American troops in April, the U.S. is now searching for other options, which has compounded the situation.

A notable change is taking place in Iraq. The US-led military operation will cease by September 2025, as agreed upon by the United States and Iraq. This shift suggests that instead of primarily depending on the US military presence, Iraq is attempting to form more conventional security alliances. 

While ideas are being made for a smaller military presence in the area, it is unclear how much assistance the US will continue to provide in Iraq, particularly for continuing operations in Syria, according to a US defense official. The transfer dynamics in both areas draw attention to how intricate American foreign policy is in the Middle East and West Africa.