ITSMUN 2017 BACKGROUND GUIDE Disarmament Committee

LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY-GENERAL Esteemed Delegates of ITSMUN’17, My name is Melis Leyal Gürel and this year I am the Secretary-General of ITSMUN 2017, which is an incredible honour and pleasure. I am also one of the founders of ITSMUN and I am really proud of what we have become. We have always aimed to be better and this is exactly what we expect from you. MUN is all about making the world a better place and in my opinion, we should start by improving ourselves. It is a long journey, and I can not say it is an easy one, but in the end, it is worth it. Before we begin our journey, let me introduce myself properly. I am a senior in Takev Science High School and my journey has begun in 9th grade with Harvard MUN. Since then, I have participated in various projects and organisations; therefore I have travelled a lot and met hundreds of people. Those people I have met and those beautiful countries I have seen made me realise that there is still hope even though the situation of the World does not seem very promising. ITSMUN provides delegates to express their opinions regarding a very large scale of issues and gives the unique opportunity to tackle those issues with innovative ideas. It is expected from you to do an attentive research in order to come up with innovative and applicable solutions to the issues you have been given. This is a tremendous event to hone your MUN skills, meet lifelong friends and have unforgettable experiences. In this background guide, you are going to find some general information regarding your committee's topics. However, it is impossible to know everything, so please do not limit yourself with this background guide. Always remember, that there is so much to discover and so much to learn. Lastly, I must say that I am very excited to be working with you and I am looking forward to seeing the passionate and resolution-driven debate, diplomatic cooperation and inventive solutions that will come out of this conference. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have regarding this committee, ITSMUN or MUN in general; before, during or after the conference.  Best regards, Melis Leyal Gürel Secretary-General of ITSMUN’17 melisleyalgurel@itsmun.com

   LETTER FROM THE UNDER SECRETARY-GENERAL

Dear Delegates,

It is my utmost pleasure to welcome you all to the Disarmament and International Security Committee of ITSMUN 2017. I am Sıla Tatlıcıoğlu, the Under Secretary-General responsible for the committee. I’m a 12th-grade student from İzmir Saint Joseph Private French High School. This is my second experience as a member of the ITSMUN team. Over the two semesters last year, I was able to attend conferences in İzmir, Ankara and New York. I see ITSMUN as a vast resource not only because of the intellectual gains but for the bonds you make.

This year, the Disarmament Committee will be dealing with the matters of "Disarmament of ISIS" and “Piracy upon the Sea”. The committee is expected to come up with ways to promote international safety.

This document will hopefully act as a guide to your research and discussions in the committee. If you have any issues or questions, feel free to contact me at any time. I will anxiously await your arrival and hope you enjoy the conference when the time comes. Sincerely, Sıla Tatlıcıoğlu Under Secretary-General of the Disarmament Committee silatatlicioglu@yahoo.com  

TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION ONE: General Information Regarding the Committee, Topics and Research

A. The Committee: Disarmament Committee B. The Topics:  (Disarmament of ISIS &Piracy Upon the Sea)

SECTION TWO: Topic A: Disarmament of ISIS 1. Statement of the Problem 2. History of the Problem 3. Current Situation 4. Relevant Measures Regarding the Issue 5. Questions a Resolution Must Answer

SECTION THREE: Topic B: Piracy Upon the Sea 1. Statement of the Problem 2. History of the Problem 3. Current Situation 4. Relevant Measures Regarding the Issue 5. Questions a Resolution Must Answer

SECTION FOUR: Closing & Bibliography 1. Closing Remarks 2. Handouts and References

SECTION ONE: General Information Regarding the Committee, Topics and Research

A. The Committee: Disarmament Committee

The Disarmament Committee deals with disarmament and global threats to peace, which affect the international community, and seeks solutions to these international security challenges. Formed in 1945, The Disarmament Committee has served as a forum for the international community to debate issues pertaining to creating and maintaining global security. Since its inception, The Disarmament Committee has dealt with threats to international security in regions all over the world, most notably in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, negotiations in the first committee have led to the creation of nearly all-international treaties regarding disarmament such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Chemical Weapons Convention.

B. The Topics: (Disarmament of ISIS &Piracy Upon the Sea)  

• Disarmament  of  ISIS:   ISIS stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and is also known as ISIL or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. By the end of June 2014, ISIS renamed itself the “Islamic State” as it proclaimed the creation of a global caliphate.

• Piracy Upon the Sea:  Piracy was a phenomenon that had its source back in the Classical antiquity back has evolved through time into a modern threat of the democratic society. Not only to society as in international peace and security but also economic stability and financial growth. Seaborne piracy against transport vessels remains a significant issue (with estimated worldwide losses of US $13 to $16 billion per year), particularly in the waters between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, off the Somali coast, and also in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, which are used by over 50,000 commercial ships a year. A recent surge in piracy off the Somali coast spurred a multi-national effort led by the United States to patrol the waters near the Horn of Africa.

SECTION TWO: Topic A: Disarmament of ISIS

1. Statement of the Problem Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS since 2010, declared that he was the new caliph and as such, was now ruling all Muslims. To date, the introduction of a new caliphate has been far from welcome by various Muslim countries. ISIS, ISIL and IS are all mostly synonymous. 1.3 Their Ideology ISIS follows a very extreme form of Islam known as Salafism (in Arabic salaf al-Salih means the "pious forefathers"). It promotes violence and bloodshed to establish and maintain Quranic hegemony through a very strict adherence to the Quran and Shari’a law. ISIS adheres to an apocalyptic theology and believes that the Mahdi or "guided one" will soon arrive and redeem Islam. ISIS has declared jihad against all infidels. That includes westerners, Christians, and Jews. But it also includes any other “Muslims” who do not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr AL Baghdadi as the new caliph, such as Hamas.

• What  do  Muslims  think  of  ISIS?   Muslims worldwide have universally condemned ISIS for its brutality, extremism, and what they consider as “un-Islamic” behavior. Those issuing such condemnations have included the government of Saudi Arabia as well as the country’s clerics, a coalition of over 100 scholars worldwide, and the authors and organizers of numerous articles, rallies, and press conferences condemning ISIS’ actions. The most grievous actions condemned by Muslims include beheadings and other brutal killings; kidnappings; enslavement; oppression of women; aggression against Christians, Yazidis, and Muslims who disagree with ISIS; and other atrocities.

• Why  do  People  Join  ISIS?  There are a variety of reasons that people decide to join the Islamic State. Through its propaganda and recruitment process, ISIS targets those who are outcasts in their community or minorities in their country or who have been discriminated against in a Western context. These individuals are usually either men in their mid-twenties who have a history of radical and violent behavior or association or orthodox, traditional Muslims who often have personal radical views. For the younger recruits, the violent actions combined with the accessible propaganda glorifying ISIS' victories seem to them as alluring and exciting. Orthodox Muslims, however, often confuse the Islamic State's narrative with legitimate traditional Islam and see joining it as a pledge of loyalty to their faith. Not included in these two categories are refugees from the conflict in Syria. Often feeling that they have no other choice, many swear allegiance to ISIS in exchange for shelter and a promise of safety.

• Their  Methods  

ISIS has taken less than 18 months to establish their barbaric reputation. While they are still described as a terrorist organization, they are also known as a militia that is well trained in guerrilla warfare. They have shown great organizational skills from a military standpoint. This is unusual for a group of this sort where corruption, chaos and military inadequacy are usually the norm. Their recent beheadings, rapes, and live burnings are done to intimidate and almost paralyze the world into an inability to respond appropriately. Additionally, they are very astute in using the social networks and the Internet to spread their propaganda of terror, as well as recruit fighters all over the world. ISIS represents a brand of Islam that knows no boundaries to its violence. It continues to attract members in various countries around the globe who go to the Middle East to train and then return to their respective countries to attack their own communities. The lack of moral equivalence between a group driven by an ideology worshipping death and a world valuing human life is always going to be a challenge.

• Past  Actions  of  ISIS  ISIS has been an international actor and received worldwide condemnation following their staging of some of the bloodiest and most violent terrorist attacks of the 21st century such as Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting, 2015 Corinthia Hotel attack in Libya, 2015 Sana'a mosque bombings in Yemen, 2015 Diyarbakır rally bombing, 2015 Khan Bani Saad bombing in Iraq, 2015 Suruç bombing, 2015 Ankara bombings, attack on the Russian Airliner Metro jet Flight 9268, 2015 Beirut bombings, November 2015 Paris attacks, 2015 San Bernardino attack in the USA, Tell Tamer bombings in Syria, Zliten truck bombing in Libya, February 2016 Sayyidah Zaynab bombings in Syria, March 2016 Istanbul bombing, 2016 Brussels bombings and the 2016 Iraqi soccer stadium bombings.

2. History of the Problem

The Timeline below is to establish an understanding of events that led to the environment of mistrust and violence within the region whereas our main focus will be on the late 2000s.

• 1945 World War II ends; the League of Arab States founded • 1946 Jordan, Lebanon and Syria gain independence from Britain and France • 1947 Zionist leaders declare war on British in Palestine to get the 1939 White

Paper canceled • 1947 UN proposes to divide Palestine into an Arab and Jewish state • 1948 Britain withdraws forces from Palestine • 1948 Arab-Israeli war develops after Israel declares independence • 1950 West Bank annexed by Jordan • 1951 Libya declares independence • 1954 Sudan becomes an officially recognized independent republic • 1956 Jordan and Israel establish a truce • 1958 Abdul-Karim overthrows Iraq monarch and prime minister • 1959 Oil is discovered in Libya • 1961 First Kurdish-Iraq War erupts in Iraq • 1964 The Palestinian Liberation Organization was established. • 1967 Israel occupies Sinai, Golan Heights, West Bank and Gaza during Six-

Day War • 1975-1990 Lebanese Civil War prevails • 1976 Syria invades Lebanon • 1979 Saddam Hussein becomes president of Iraq • 1980-1989 Iran-Iraq War rages, casualties range in the millions • 1982 Israel invades Lebanon to drive out PLO • 1990 North and South Yemen merge into the Republic of Yemen • 1990 Iraq invades Kuwait • 1991 The Gulf War begins in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait

• 1993 Oslo I agreement signed setting up Israeli-Palestinian Peace settlement • 1995 Palestine granted full control of part of West Bank and Gaza after Oslo

II agreement Signed • 1995 Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin assassinated • 1998 Taliban inches closer to power in Kabul after a series of military

victories • 2000 Israeli troops vacate Lebanon • 2003 The US, United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invade Iraq; Sadam

Hussein removed from power • 2004 Sa'dah insurgency in Yemen • 2005 Cedar Revolution prompts Syrian troops to withdraw from Lebanon • 2006 Saddam Hussein executed • 2010 Arab Spring brings major protests, uprisings, and revolutions to several

Middle Eastern countries • 2011-2012 Syrian uprising; thousands of citizen’s protest for the overthrow of

the government; widespread marches, hunger strikes, rioting, and vandalism • 2014 – ISIS rises in Iraq and Syria; rival groups try to overthrow Syrian

president • 2015 & 2016 - The global community faces the ugly reality of ISIS or ISIL

through a number of terror attacks in Paris, Brussels, Turkey and even Pakistan.

• Major  Events  

o Iraq-­‐Iran  War:  The War between Iraq and Iran that has claimed the life of an estimated 1.2 Million lives' over an 8year period also making it the longest conventional war of the 20th century. The main factors behind the war can be stated as; Iraq's fear of the 1979 revolution of Iran to arouse a similar effect on the suppressed Shia majority leading to a revolt, Historical border controversy, and Iraq's desire to replace Iran as the dominant power in the Persian Gulf. The UN SC had stated that chemical weapons had been used during the course of the war but never specified the user, as it is known that Iraq had used WMD on both Iranians and Iraqi Kurds. Many western countries especially the USA had supported Iraq's efforts with the Monetary and military aid it is known that the USA gave satellite imagery access to the Iraqi Government and ıntelligence help via the CIA Until Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the UNSC did not identify the aggressor of the Iraq-Iran war as Iraq.

o The  Gulf  War:  The Gulf war has started after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait claiming the territory as prehistorically Iraqi Territory and that was carved out by the British. Iraq had claimed that Kuwait stole Iraqi oil by using slant drilling but during the Iraq-Iran war due to Khomeini's attempts to sparkle a similar revolution Kuwait had financially aided Iraq with a debt. Accumulating to 14 billion USD and the excessive production of oil by Kuwait caused Iraqi revenues to remain relatively low. Iraq had requested Kuwait to Pardon the debt. Unfortunately, Kuwait rejected to pardon the debt. All Iraqi claims apart it was evident that Iraq had an intention to take over the vast Kuwaiti oil reserves. Following the Invasion, the UNSC placed immediate economic sanctions upon Iraq which was followed by the deployment of US troops to Saudi Arabia in order to defend the state urging the international community to follow in their

footsteps thus establishing the largest military alliance since the Second World War which is known as Operation Desert Shield. Following a five-week air assault and bombardment campaign, a 100-hour ground operation took place in which the coalition forces managed to enter Iraqi territory and conclude a ceasefire this combat phase of the war is also known as Operation Desert Storm. It is important that all military action against Iraq during the war was sanctioned by the UNSC as Iraq had violated the territorial integrity of Kuwait. The American hesitance to overthrow Saddam by pushing through to Baghdad was criticized but the US officials stated that such action would have unnecessary political and human costs as well as would have created cracks among the coalition instead the US attempted to stage a CIA infrastructure coup in the hopes that it would overthrow the Ba'athist Saddam Government.

o Iraqi  Disarmament  Crisis:  It was of general knowledge that Iraq had been investing in and running Biological, Chemical and Nuclear weapons programs since the 1980's and the use of those weapons was revealed by the UN weapons committee and the Iraqi primary facility for its nuclear program had been destroyed by Israel in 1981. However, during the course of the gulf war, The UN had located and destroyed large amounts of Iraqi chemical and biological weapons or WMD with at some point’s Iraqi official's cooperation although this cooperation had diminished largely by 1998. Since the Gulf war in 1990, the UN had banned Iraq from possessing and developing WMD and was placed under ınspections by the special disarmament commission with 16 resolutions of the UNSC. Iraq had failed to comply with the inspections and even on several occasions prevented the inspectors from performing their duties as well as hiding documents from the inspections commission. In 1998 the Iraqi government announced that it would no longer comply with the UN weapons inspections and subsequently the US president Bill Clinton had signed the Iraqi Liberation Act, which sought to remove Saddam Hussein from power by supporting the Iraqi opposition movements. The tensions regarding the disarmament issue had risen by 2002-2003, which led to the invasion of Iraq by the USA and Allied Forces. Bombing of Iraq 1998(Operation Desert Fox): Operation Desert Fox is a bombing campaign undertaken by the US and UK on Iraqi targets in response to Iraqi governments deliberate noncompliance with the UNSC resolutions and the UN special commission for disarmament with the goal of degrading Iraq's capacity to store and produce WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) and comply with the UN.

o The  Invasion  of  Iraq  by  the  US  and  Allied  Forces  (War  of  Iraq  or  Operation  Iraqi  Freedom):  

The invasion of Iraq was a consequence of the Iraqi government's deliberate failure to meet the UNSC disarmament resolutions and UN disarmament commission along with the newly adopted strategy of the G.W. Bush administration of Pre-emption over Containment or Counter Insurgency Policy designed by Paul Wolfowitz the Under Secretary of Defense which was adopted following the September 11 terrorist events in the US with the focus on eliminating threats by striking first rather than containing it. The invasion was justified by the US president G.W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair as an operation to dismantle the alleged WMD of Iraq and end the Saddam Hussein reign over Iraq thus his yet again alleged support for terrorism. It is important that there had been no sufficient evidence to connect Saddam Hussein’s Iraq with Al-Qaida or the September 11 attacks as well as support the claims of the US and UK of Iraq's processing and producing of WMD. It was proved on several occasions that the Iraqi government was in no such process of stockpiling or

developing WMD and the IAEA inspectors and several US officials along with UN commission members had repeatedly stated that there was no trace of chemicals or such material used in the building of WMD and under such circumstances the Invasion was not UNSC sanctioned or mandated and for an Authorization of such a military operation to be granted the UNSC concluded that further thorough Inspections had to be done. Kofi Annan the UN SG of the time had commented that the Invasion in Relation to the UN and the UN Charter was illegal or in conflict with International Law.

o US  Military  Intervention  of  Iraq  2014:  In 2014 the US had started an Iraqi Government invited Military intervention into Iraq in order to aid The Iraqi Government to fight against the rising threat of ISIL or ISIS. Following the Intervention, the Kurdish Peshmerga of the Autonomous Region of Northern Iraq was directly aided by the US and a series of missile strikes and ground operations against ISIL was conducted. As a result of these operations, the Mosul Dam was re-captured by Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces with the help of US forces.

3. Current Situation 4. Relevant Measures Regarding the Issue

• International  Coalitions  against  ISIS  

 •  US-­‐led  Coalitions  

 § 5  September  2014:  

On the margins of the 4/5 September 2014 NATO summit in Wales, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on 5 September invited Ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Denmark and Italy, for a separate meeting in which he pressed them to support the fight against ISIL militarily and financially. Those nine countries agreed to do so by supporting anti-ISIL forces in Iraq and Syria with supplies and air support, according to a statement that day of Kerry and U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagel.

§ 3  December  2014:  On 3 December 2014, at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, diplomats/(foreign) ministers from 59 countries gathered to plot a way forward against the threat of ISIL. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told the gathering, that "defeating the ideology, the funding, the recruitment" of Daesh (ISIL) must be the primary focus of their discussion, more important than airstrikes and other military action. The countries represented on 3 December were: the 10 countries of the abovementioned 5 September coalition in Wales; the extra 18 countries of the 15 September France-led coalition in Paris except for China and Russia; and 33 additional countries: Albania, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, South Korea, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Sweden, Taiwan and Ukraine.

They styled themselves as the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and agreed to a strategy that included:

• Exposing ISIL’s true nature; • Cutting off ISIL’s financing and funding; • Supporting military operations.

§ France-­‐led  coalition  

On 15 September 2014, at the ‘International Conference on Peace and Security in Iraq' hosted by the French President François Hollande in Paris, 26 countries were represented: the countries of a US-led coalition that on 5 September in Wales had agreed on a coalition against ISIL except Australia and Poland, and furthermore Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia and Spain. They committed themselves to supporting the Iraqi government with military assistance in its fight against ISIL, and they reaffirmed their commitment to UNSC Resolution 2170 of 15 August (condemning all trade with ISIL and urging to prevent all financial donations and all payments of ransoms to ISIL), so reported the French government. In retaliation for the November 2015 Paris attacks, the French Air Force significantly intensified airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria, hitting among other the Syrian city of Ar-Raqqah, the de facto capital of ISIL.

§ Russia-­‐led  coalition  Main article: Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War At the end of September 2015, Russia, Iraq, Iran and Syria set up a 'joint information center' in Baghdad to "gather, process and analyze current information about the situation in the Middle East – primarily for fighting IS." On 30 September 2015, Russia began its air campaign on the side and in support of the Syrian government. Russia was also reported to have reached agreements on coordination of operations in Syria with Jordan and Israel. On 14 March 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial withdrawal from Syrian territory, citing the success of the ongoing ceasefire and greater security of the Syrian government.

§ Islamic  nations  coalition  On 14 December 2015, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud announced that 34 countries would partner in the fight against Islamic extremism, which Salman called a "disease." Based out of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the coalition will include Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Malaysia, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, Togo, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

§ Turkish  Intervention  ISIL is suspected of involvement in or responsibility for terrorist attacks in Turkey in May 2013 in Reyhanlı and March 2014 on Turkish police, kidnapping 49 Turkish diplomats in June 2014, the 5 June 2015 Diyarbakır rally bombing and the 20 July

2015 Suruç bombing killing 32 young activists. The Turkish government until July 2015 once attacked ISIL militarily, in January 2014. In September 2014 Turkey joined a US-led coalition ‘to fight ISIL'.

• Resources  of  ISIS    

o Banks  ISIS reportedly seized control of a number of banks in the territories that it captured, including Mosul Bank, where millions of dollars reportedly fell into its hands. Some estimates put the number at an astounding $400 million. While it is believed this number is exaggerated, even half or one-fourth of that number amounts to more funding than any terrorist group in modern times has had. 5.2 Infrastructure and Businesses ISIS utilized preexisting structures and hired local and foreign talent - its fighters and people under its control - to operate electricity and water resources, construction, transportation, and the like. Reports indicate that by capturing electricity resources, ISIS has been able to sell it back to the Syrian regime. ISIS has also turned some of the vacant business sites into local markets, building specific zones where merchants can sell their products, like clothing and comestibles. ISIS taxes these businesses and also caters to them, diversifying its sources of revenue. For example, ISIS has regulated the meat industry, opening slaughter factories where meat is stamped with its official watermark and subsequently distributed to butcher shops.

o Oil  ISIS reportedly captured a number of oil refineries in Syria, specifically in Deir AlZour and Raqqa. In the beginning of the U.S.-led airstrikes on ISIS in Syria late last summer, images, videos, and reports circulated online, showing the aftermath of an alleged airstrike that targeted one of these refineries. One of the videos shows spilled oil, indicating that it was the result of an airstrike. Furthermore, ISIS has released footage showing its personnel selling oil to locals at a large vehicle rest stop or garage, located on the border between western Iraq and eastern Syria, labeled the "Euphrates Province” by the group. Exemplifying the massive role that oil plays in ISIS’ revenue flow, a prominent Syrian activist, who claims to be in Syria and has previously released exclusive information regarding the conflict, indicated last year that ISIS produces over 22,000 barrels of oil every day. One of the oil sites that ISIS captured well over a year ago was the Omar Oil Field in Deir Al-Zour.

o Black  Market    

ISIS purportedly runs a black market, mainly for oil and weapons, in Syria and Iraq (possibly also in Libya). ISIS fighters regularly seize weapons, military vehicles, and equipment from soldiers and rival factions. In fact, the group frequently distributes videos and images of the weapons seized, including automatic rifles, machine and artillery guns, ammunition depots, Kornet guided missile systems, rocket launchers, Humvees and BMP army vehicles, tanks, and a number of 1960's military aircraft from Tabqa Air Base in Raqqa, Syria, among others. While the group might be utilizing much of this weaponry and equipment itself, the surplus allows ISIS to sell some of it to other factions, likely those that adhere to its ideology. Currently, ISIS is expanding in Der'a southern Syria, Qalamoun Mountain, and East Ghouta in rural Damascus. This expansion has allowed the group to win over allies in these regions, including Liwaa Shuhadaa Al-Yarmouk in southern Syria. The latter is a small faction and underfunded. It is likely that ISIS supplies it with weapons.

o Taxation  ISIS taxes Muslims and non-Muslims alike in its territory. Capable Muslims are required to pay a sum of their earnings and revenue every lunar year, amounting to about one-tenth of an individual’s earnings. This money is primarily collected from businesses, including jewelers, shepherds, land owners, and boutique shops. Its "Zakat Department" runs offices across Iraq and Syria, where money is not only collected, but some of it is also distributed, as it claims, to the impoverished and the needy in the form of cash envelopes and food items. As for non-Muslims, ISIS enforces the 'Jizya' tax, which is a specific amount of money to be collected twice every year, mainly from Christians. Depending on the person's ability, a yearly contribution from each capable adult Christian amounts to one or more 'golden dinars.' Each gold dinar is equivalent to 4.25g of gold (or its cash equivalent).

o Online  Funding  Cyber jihadists supportive of ISIS have conducted some fundraising online, including in the Dark Web. In the past year, at least two pages in the Dark Web provided Bitcoin accounts to raise funds for ISIS' Caliphate. Also, some posters suggested the use of Cash in digital currency cards, which are used in the Arab Gulf region. In fact, an English language manual was distributed to urge radicals around the world to set up multiple Bitcoin accounts to collect donations from "the U.S. the UK, South Africa," etc., for ISIS fighters (ISIS is referred to as Dal Atul-Islam – the English transliteration of The Islamic State's name in Arabic).

o  Charities  ISIS supporters have also allegedly utilized charities to conceal donations being funneled to the group. Many Western nations, including Australia and the UK, have grappled with the often-controversial crackdown on charities suspected of providing funds to ISIS. In Australia alone, authorities have estimated that more than 50 million dollars likely made its way to the terrorist group in the last year alone. Officials have also claimed to witness exponential increases in this sort of illicit fundraising activity, coinciding with the group’s continued expansion. Flashpoint analysts, however, have not been able to authenticate any specific ties between recognized charities and ISIS.

• Where  Does  ISIS  Get  Its  Guns?  

Since ancient times an army required significant logistical support to carry out any kind of sustained military campaign. In ancient Rome, an extensive network of roads was constructed to facilitate not only trade, but to allow Roman legions to move quickly to where they were needed, and for the supplies needed to sustain military operations to follow them in turn. In the late 1700′s French general, expert strategist, and leader Napoleon Bonaparte would note "an army marches on its stomach," referring to the extensive logistical network required to keep an army fed, and therefore able to maintain its fighting capacity. For the French, their inability to maintain a steady supply train to its forces fighting in Russia, and the Russians' decision to burn their own land and infrastructure to deny it from the invading forces, ultimately defeated the French. Nazi Germany would suffer a similar fate when it too overextended its logical capabilities during its invasion of Russia amid Operation Barbarossa. Once again, invading armies became stranded without limited resources before being either cut off and annihilated or forced to retreat.

o ISIS’  Supply  Lines  The current conflict consuming the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria where the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS) is operating and simultaneously fighting and

defeating the forces of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, we are told, is built upon a logistical network based on black market oil and ransom payments. The fighting capacity of ISIS is that of a nation-state. It controls vast swaths of territory straddling both Syria and Iraq and not only is able to militarily defend and expand from this territory but possesses the resources to occupy it, including the resources to administer the populations subjugated within it. For military analysts, especially former members of Western armed forces, as well as members of the Western media who remember the convoys of trucks required for the invasions of Iraq in the 1990s and again in 2003, they surely must wonder where ISIS' trucks are today. After all, if the resources to maintain the fighting capacity exhibited by ISIS were available within Syrian and Iraqi territory alone, then certainly Syrian and Iraqi forces would also possess an equal or greater fighting capacity but they simply do not. And were ISIS' supply lines solely confined within the Syrian and Iraqi territory, then surely both Syrian and Iraqi forces would utilize their one advantage – air power – to cut front line ISIS fighters from the source of their supplies. But this is not happening and there is a good reason why. ISIS' supply lines run precisely where Syrian and Iraqi air power cannot go. To the north and into NATO-member Turkey, and to the southwest into US allies Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Beyond these borders exists a logistical network that spans a region including both Eastern Europe and North Africa. Terrorists and weapons left over from NATO's intervention in Libya in 2011 were promptly sent to Turkey and then onto Syria – coordinated by US State Department officials and intelligence agencies in Benghazi – a terrorist hotbed for decades. And while Western media sources continuously refer to ISIS and other factions operating under the banner of Al Qaeda as "rebels" or "moderates," it is clear that if billions of dollars in weapons were truly going to "moderates," they, not ISIS would be dominating the battlefield. Recent revelations have revealed that as early as 2012 the United States Department of Defense not only anticipated the creation of a "Salafism Principality" straddling Syria and Iraq precisely where ISIS now exists, it welcomed it eagerly and contributed to the circumstances required to bring it about.

o Just  How  Extensive  Are  ISIS’  Supply  Lines?  While many across the West play willfully ignorant as to where ISIS truly gets their supplies from in order to maintain its impressive fighting capacity, some journalists have traveled to the region and have videotaped and reported on the endless convoys of trucks supplying the terrorist army. Were these trucks traveling to and from factories in seized ISIS territory deep within the Syrian and Iraqi territory? No. They were traveling from deep within Turkey, crossing the Syrian border with absolute impunity, and headed on their way with the implicit protection of nearby Turkish military forces. Attempts by Syria to attack these convoys and the terrorists flowing in with them have been met by Turkish air defenses. Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) published the first video report from a major Western media outlet illustrating that ISIS is supplied not by "black market oil" or "hostage ransoms" but billions of dollars worth of supplies carried into Syria across NATO member Turkey's borders via hundreds of trucks a day. German national broadcaster DW reported on convoys of hundreds of trucks per day crossing into Syria from NATO-member Turkey with impunity, en route to ISIS terrorists, finally explaining the source of the terrorist army's fighting capacity. The trucks were reported by DW to have originated from deep within Turkish territory – most likely NATO air bases and ports. The report titled, "‘IS' supply

channels through Turkey," confirms what geopolitical analysts have reported since at least as early as 2011 – that ISIS subsidies on immense, multi-national state sponsorship, including, obviously, Turkey itself. Looking at maps of ISIS-held territory and reading action reports of its offensive maneuvers throughout the region and even beyond, one might imagine hundreds of trucks a day would be required to maintain this level of fighting capacity. One could imagine similar convoys crossing into Iraq from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Similar convoys are likely passing into Syria from Jordan. In all, considering the realities of logistics and their timeless importance to military campaigns throughout human history, there is no other plausible explanation for ISIS's ability to wage war within Syria and Iraq besides immense resources being channeled to it from abroad. If an army marches on its stomach, and ISIS' stomachs are full of NATO and Persian Gulf State supplies, ISIS will continue to march long and hard. The key to breaking the back of ISIS is breaking the back of its supply lines. To do that however, and precisely why the conflict has dragged on for so long, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and others would have to eventually secure the borders and force ISIS to fight within Turkish, Jordanian, and Saudi territory – a difficult scenario to implement as nations like Turkey have created de facto buffer zones within Syrian territory which would require a direct military confrontation with Turkey itself to eliminate. With Iran joining the fray with an alleged deployment of thousands of troops to bolster Syrian military operations, overwhelming principles of deterrence may prevent Turkey enforcing its buffer zones. What we are currently left with is NATO literally holding the region hostage with the prospect of a catastrophic regional war in a bid to defend and perpetuate the carnage perpetrated by ISIS within Syria, fully underwritten by an immense logistical network streaming out of NATO territory itself.

5. Questions a Resolution Must Answer

SECTION THREE: Topic B: Piracy Upon the Sea

1. What measures can be taken regarding the prevention of further state-sponsored arms trafficking and aiding of ISIS? 2. What regional and international contributions can be implemented in order to stabilize the Iraqi government? 3. In what ways can the root causes of ISIS be resolved from Iraq and Syria? 4. What do we expect to reach as a result of this resolution? What are the measures of our success?

1. Statement of the Problem 2. History of the Problem 3. Current Situation 4. Relevant Measures Regarding the Issue

Piracy can feed on whole economies but can nurture them as well. Piracy remains the most important commercial sector in Somalia, with a whole string of profiteers ranging from unemployed Somalis to guards, negotiators, translators and even private citizens who agree to house the kidnapped sailors. Insurance companies also benefit by selling anti-piracy policies, as do shipyards given the job of repairing ships that have been damaged by pirates. Acts of piracy are most likely to happen in areas where there is little or no control by state actors, as seen on the shores of Somalia, where the lack of state control mechanisms enables the pirates to conduct their operations in relative safety or in the Southeast Asian region, where pirates are "exploiting national sea boundaries and the limitations of regional naval forces". Although piracy has never returned to the level it was in previous centuries, it has not completely disappeared and the world’s navies continue to try to prevent piracy. Attacks occur worldwide, mainly in developing countries. In the 1990s, political groups hijacked ships, threatening crews and passengers with death if their demands were not met. Pirates in South East Asia have attacked merchant shipping and in the Caribbean, ships have been attacked and robbed. Modern day pirates still rely on speed and surprise in their attacks. They use fast dinghies and arm themselves with assault rifles to overpower ships. Many ships today have smaller crews, relying on technology and so can be easily overpowered. According to the “United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas” (UNCLOS), piracy consists of “any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed:

• On  the  high  seas,  against  another  ship  or  aircraft,  or  against  persons  or  property  on  board  such  ship  or  aircraft;  

• Against  a  ship,  aircraft,  persons  or  property  in  a  place  outside  the  jurisdiction  of  any  State;”  

Also mentioned in UNCLOS is that all acts, supporting such operations, are regarded as piracy as well. Contrary to popular belief, piracy not only consists of hijacking a ship or taking the crew as hostages for ransom but also of armed raids aimed at stealing provisions and other goods, as can be seen when checking the "Live Piracy & Armed Robbery Report" of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

o Modern  Day  Pirates  

Modern pirates favor small boats and taking advantage of the small number of crewmembers on modern cargo vessels. They also use large vessels to supply the smaller attack/boarding vessels. Modern pirates can be successful because a large amount of international commerce occurs via shipping. Major shipping routes take cargo ships through narrow bodies of water (such as the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Malacca) making them vulnerable to be overtaken and boarded by small motorboats. Other active areas include the South China Sea and the Niger Delta. As usage increases, many of these ships have to lower cruising speeds to allow for navigation and traffic control, making them prime targets for piracy. Also, pirates often operate in regions of developing or struggling countries with smaller navies and large trade routes. Pirates sometimes evade capture by sailing into waters controlled by their pursuer's enemies. With the end of the Cold War, navies have decreased size and patrol, and trade has increased, making organized piracy far easier. Modern pirates are sometimes linked with organized-crime syndicates, but often are parts of small individual groups. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) maintains statistics regarding pirate attacks dating back to 1995. Their records indicate hostage taking overwhelmingly dominates the types of violence against seafarers. For example in 2006, there were 239 attacks, 77 crewmembers were kidnapped and 188 taken hostage but only 15 of the pirate attacks resulted in murder. In 2007 the attacks rose by 10% to 263 attacks. There was a 35% increase in reported attacks involving guns. Crewmembers that were injured numbered 64 compared to just 17 in 2006. That number does not include hostages/kidnapping where they were not injured. The number of attacks within the first nine months of 2009 already surpassed the previous years due to the increased pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia. Between January and September, the number of attacks rose to 306 from 293. The pirates boarded the vessels in 114 cases and hijacked 34 of them so far in 2009. Gun use in pirate attacks has gone up to 176 cases from 76 last year. In some cases, modern pirates are not interested in the cargo but instead in taking the personal belongings of the crew and the contents of the ship's safe, which might contain large amounts of cash needed for payroll and port fees. In other cases, the pirates force the crew off the ship and then sail it to a port to be repainted and given a new identity through false papers often purchased from corrupt or complicit officials. Modern piracy can also take place in conditions of political unrest. For example, following the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, Thai piracy was

aimed at the many Vietnamese who took to boats to escape. Further, following the disintegration of the government of Somalia, warlords in the region have attacked ships delivering UN food aid. Environmental action groups such as Sea Shepherd have been accused of engaging in piracy and terrorism, when they ram and throw butyric acid on the decks of ships engaged in commercial fishing, shark poaching and finning, seal hunting, and whaling. In two instances they boarded a Japanese whaling vessel. While the Sea shepherd ships use non-lethal weapons, some considers their tactics and methods acts of piracy. The attack against the U.S. cruise ship the Seabourn Spirit offshore of Somalia in November 2005 is an example of the sophisticated pirates' mariners face. The pirates carried out their attack more than 100 miles (160 km) offshore with speedboats launched from a larger mother ship. The attackers were armed with automatic firearms and an RPG. Many nations forbid ships to enter their territorial waters or ports if the crew of the ships is armed in an effort to restrict possible piracy. Shipping companies sometimes hire private armed security guards. Modern definitions of piracy include the following acts:

• Boarding  • Extortion  • Hostage  taking  • Kidnapping  of  people  for  ransom  • Murder  • Robbery  • Sabotage  resulting  in  the  ship  subsequently  sinking  • Seizure  of  items  or  the  ship  • Shipwrecking  done  intentionally  to  a  ship  

o Nature  and  Severity  of  the  Threat  

Pirate attacks are largely confined to four major areas: • The Gulf of Aden, near Somalia and the southern entrance to the Red Sea; • The Gulf of Guinea, near Nigeria and the Niger River delta; • The Malacca Strait between Indonesia and Malaysia; • The Indian subcontinent, particularly between India and Sri Lanka. In 2009, maritime piracy reached its highest level since the IMB's Piracy Reporting Center began tracking piracy incidents in 1992, surpassing levels from 2008, which was the previous record year. Of the forty-nine successful hijackings in 2008, forty-two occurred off the coast of Somalia, including the capture of an oil supertanker, the Sirius Star. In 2009, that number rose to forty-seven, despite reduced global shipping and a multi-country naval military force aimed at stemming piracy in the region. Overall attacks off the coast of Somalia represented about half of all maritime piracy globally according to the IMB. Though Somalia gets the lion's share of attention on global piracy, the IMB says incidents off the coast of Nigeria, which largely involve robberies rather than hijackings, were more likely to include violence against the crew than anywhere else in the world in 2009.

In other areas of the world, including Indonesia, piracy dropped. The shipping industry has urged greater action on the part of the world's navies. But many ships are not even using basic deterrents. There is no quantitative research available on the total cost of global piracy. Estimates vary widely because of disagreement over whether insurance premiums, freight rates, and the cost of rerouting should be included with, for instance, the cost of ransoms. Some analysts suggest the cost is close to $1 billion a year, while others claim losses could range as high as $16 billion.

o International  Authority  

There are legal barriers to prosecuting individuals captured in international waters. Countries are struggling to apply existing maritime law, international law, and their own laws, which limits them to having jurisdiction over their own citizens. According to piracy experts, the goal is to "deter and disrupt" pirate activity, and pirates are often detained, interrogated, disarmed, and released. With millions of dollars at stake, pirates have little incentive to stop. Prosecutions are rare for several reasons. Modern laws against piracy are almost nonexistent. The Dutch are using a 17th-century law against sea robbery to prosecute. Warships that capture pirates have no jurisdiction to try them, and NATO does not have a detention policy in place. Prosecutors have a hard time assembling witnesses and finding translators, and countries are reluctant to imprison pirates because they would be saddled with them upon their release. By contrast, the United States has a statute imposing a sentence of life in prison for piracy "as defined by the law of nations" committed anywhere on the high seas, regardless of the nationality of the pirates or the victims. It is suggested that the international community appropriates Somali territorial waters and sell them, together with the international portion of the Gulf of Aden, to a private company, which would then provide security from piracy in exchange for charging tolls to world shipping through the Gulf.

o Response  to  Piracy  

For a successful fight against piracy, both the causes as well as the effects must be taken care of. Possible actions against the effects of piracy, meaning the actual attacks, can consist of naval patrols enforced by national maritime forces, either in independent actions in national waters or also with the multinational task force, as is happening off the shores of Somalia with Operation Atalanta, to prevent the pirates from reaching their targeted prey. Other actions can consist of hardening the ships against attack and deploying Private Armed Security Companies (PASC). Due to different national laws, these PASCs are not always allowed in national waters, such as the Nigerian sea areas. Those actions, however, are not fighting the causes. The situation on the shores of East Africa is deeply linked to the lack of state actors; strictly speaking, the lack of a state. The figures of piracy in that area are closely linked to the beginning of the Somali Civil War. It seems that permanent monitoring of sea areas could solve most of the problems in West Africa and Southeast Asia, although some problems would still remain unsolved, e.g. the fast operations carried out by Southeast Asian pirates in littoral waters around Indonesia, making use of the confusingly complex archipelagos and the sea borders.

o Case  Study:  Somali  Pirates  

Until recently, pirates have sought to avoid taking sides in the Somali conflict. Their bases can be found in remote villages far away from the epicenters of the civil war. According to Gettleman, their objective is simple and clear: "We just want the money". The western-backed Transitional Federal Government, on the other hand, condemns piracy, as do its Islamic contenders. Fighting piracy, it seems, is one of the very view objectives that all conflict parties share. This, however, seems to be changing. As the war is getting even more intense, with hundreds of peoples killed in the last few months, both sides apparently forge alliances with pirates in order to strengthen their position. The TFG is in a desperate situation. Protected by troops from the African Union, it only controls a few roadblocks in the capital Mogadishu, where it is besieged by Islamic forces. Nevertheless, also the Islamists are not doing well. Despite their military superiority, they have so far been unable to defeat the TFG. Moreover, they are increasingly losing support among the population. Both sides are thus in a dire need of new resources – money, weapons, fighters – and the pirates could just provide that. Since their surge in 2008, the pirates have changed. Their numbers are growing and they are getting more powerful and better organized. As millions of ransom dollars pour into their hands, some pirate leaders have reportedly set up large and well-armed militias to defend their interests. "You can't ignore the pirates anymore," said Mohamed Aden, a clan leader in central Somalia. "They're getting more and more muscle. They used to invest their money in just boats and going out to sea but now they're building up their military side." In April, however, Hizbul Islam conquered Harardhere, an infamous pirate port, and forced many pirates to withdraw. In Northeastern Somalia, the government of Puntland is reportedly increasing efforts to curb piracy. Meanwhile, on the sea international naval forces are making pirate operations more difficult. For pragmatic reasons, there may thus be an incentive for the pirates to get

involved in politics and secure their profitable livelihoods. In Harardhere, pirates have reportedly agreed to share ransom money with Hizbul Islam, a more moderate Islamic militia, in order to continue their profession.

After all, piracy is about getting money, and it does not matter with whom you cooperate. Or is there more to pirate politics? Further south in Hobyo, opposition against the radical Islamists of Al-Shabab seems to provide a new basis for cooperation. The group is widely feared. In the regions under its control, a harsh version of sharia law is implemented, including amputations and stoning. Listening to music and watching football is forbidden and men are obliged to let their beards grow long. They also object to piracy. Pirates have taken up the fight against al-Shabab. They have reportedly joined forces with clan militias and the local administration to prevent the group, from getting a foothold in the region. It is still unclear where these new developments may lead to. However, Gettleman's observations may have severe consequences. If pirates can no longer be evaluated as private, profit-driven actors, is the current legal architecture equipped to address these? For the law of the sea piracy is a private affair, but how to prosecute pirates if the follow political aims and are conflict parties? The entanglement of pirates in the Somali Conflict might however well be an opportunity also. It opens the opportunity to negotiate with them, and also may widen the toolbox by which they could be punished for their deeds. For the civil war in Somalia, it will mean a little less hope. The new role of pirates and the resources for war fighting they bring in will, without a doubt, exacerbate the conflict. However, with conflict dynamics changing and the pirates becoming stronger, they will emerge as powerful political actors. Pirates may take a side in the civil war – on either or both sides – and play an important role in the struggle over power, peace and the future of Somalia. Perhaps, pirates have always been part of this struggle, and we have just not seen it. "Geographically, Somalia locates in the East Africa, in the east, it is adjacent to the Indian Ocean and in the north the Gulf of Aden of Red Sea. The size of the land is estimated 637, 540 km square; with a coastline of 3333 km square with the population of 9, 639, 541; sovereignty territorial waters up to 200 nautical miles. Its economy mainly depends on agriculture, livestock, forestry, and fisheries. Livestock, which is predominant export, an important source of animal products (mostly milk) for internal markets and subsistence. Crop cultivation dominated by rural subsistence sector, which generated sufficient surplus to sustain domestic informal markets and barter economy. Fisheries are mainly engaged in lucrative commerce from enclave along the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean as far south as to the coast of Kismayo."

Somalia is also a country that has faced (and to some extent still does) many radical changes as far as the political scene is concerned. Due to its political instability and the changing political system, Somalia is hardly protected from pirates who have attacked this area several times in the past few decades.

Piracy reached its peak in 2003. Then we had a decline in the number of incidents and then again we had an increase in 2009. "The last time piracy figures crossed 400 incidents was in 2003. 2009 is also the third successive year that the number of reported incidents has increased with 239, 263 and 293 incidents reported in 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively. The report states that worldwide in 2009, 153 vessels were boarded, 49 vessels were hijacked, 84 attempted attacks and 120 vessels fired upon – compared to 46 ships fired upon in 2008. A total of 1052 crew were taken, hostage. Sixty-eight crew were injured in the various incidents and eight crew killed. The level of violence towards the crew has increased along with the number of crew injuries. The total number of incidents attributed to the Somali pirates stands at 217 with 47 vessels hijacked and 867 crewmembers taken hostage. Somalia accounts for more than half of the 2009 figures, with the attacks continuing to remain opportunistic in nature" The situation was similar in 2010. "Twenty-six vessels were boarded during the first quarter of 2010, with 18 ships fired upon, 12 suffering from attempted attacks, and 11 vessels hijacked. A total of 194 crewmembers were taken hostage, 12 of whom were injured. The east and south coast of Somalia recorded 18 incidents including five vessels hijacked and 11 fired upon in the first quarter of 2010 compared with 21 incidents including four vessels hijacked and 11fired upon for the corresponding period in 2009. The next year there seemed to be a reduced number of attacks, which caused some optimism. “In 2011, at least 3,863 seafarers were assaulted by armed pirates seeking to hijack their vessel and kidnap them. Of these, 968 (25%) seafarers came into close contact with pirates that succeeded in boarding their vessel; 413 of those who came in close contact with pirates were rescued from safe rooms or citadels by naval forces

after waiting for hours (and in some cases days) in terror, often as pirates actively fought to breach the safe room. The remaining 555 (14%) were ultimately “kidnapped and taken hostage. The number of seafarers subjected to armed attacks decreased in 2011 by 8% from the previous year.

5. Questions a Resolution Must Answer

1. Is the law pertaining to armed piracy adequate? 2. Should the issue be left to member states to solve unilaterally? 3. Is intervention an option for states whose citizens become victim to armed piracy within another state’s territorial waters? 4. If so, what types of intervention must be justified? 5. Also what level of use of force against pirates would be permissible? 6. Can financial dealings (for example, payment of ransom money etc.) with pirates be allowed to go through? 7. Should states be mandated by law to take military action against pirates in respect of the safety of their citizens? 8. In cases where a state’s waters are plagued by pirates, what sort of measures can be taken to give the respective state the ability to combat the problem on the home front? 9. How could the UNCLOS definition of piracy be changed to cover contemporary piracy occurring in territorial waters? 10. How can a sustainable, lasting solution, preventing the causes of contemporary piracy, be assured? 11. What steps must be taken to make the hunt for pirates crossing national sea borders, possible, or to at least ensure a better cooperation between national navy and coast guard services?

SECTION FOUR: Closing & Bibliography

1. Closing Remarks Dear Delegates, I hope that my selected topics have peaked your interest. Both issues are of urgent international consideration and are subject to a wide-range of influence and change. From political, military, social and economic factors, the multifaceted nature of these topics should yield exciting points of contentions and compromise in committee. It should be noted that this study guide, although very long, is by no means exhaustive and that further research is strongly suggested. Please set some time leading up to conference to research and prepare your country’s stance on the given topics. Due to the volatile and ever-evolving nature of these topics, I am positive that much has developed since my writing of this guide. I highly recommend you all to stay up to date with current affairs – you will be surprised by how much you can learn from reading a few articles. Finally, if you find yourself puzzled at what your country policy exactly is after researching, seek out block and ally positions and stick to them. Additional please note that much of what defines how committee will unfold will take place during session so do not let the details overwhelm you. Stick to big ideas and how your country views those ideas. Moreover, as always, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have. You cannot imagine how excited I am for ITSMUN 2017 and I look forward to meeting all of you in May. Good luck and have fun! Best, Sıla Tatlıcıoğlu, Under Secretary-General of the Disarmament Committee silatatlicioglu@yahoo.com  

2. Handouts and References Topic A: A background guide ‘What is ISIS?’, Welby P., Tony Blair Faith Foundation, 2015 An article on genocide possibly committed by ISIS: ‘ISIS may have committed genocide against Iraqi minority: UN report’, Steinbuch Y., New York Post, 2015 The famous article ‘What ISIS really wants?’, Wood G., The Atlantic, 2015 Reuters release summarizing Resolution 2199 Current news on ISIL on Guardian CIA World Factbook BBC News http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/14/world/meast/isis-coalition-nations/ https://www.wessexscene.co.uk/news/top-news/2014/08/11/isis-an-introduction/ http://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/global/what-can-be-done-about-isis Bilgi MUN DISEC Study Guide http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/ISISback.html http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: Syrian, _Iraqi, and _and_Lebanese_insurgencies.png http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27838034 http://gimun.org/wp-content/uploads/Study-Guide_UNSC.pdf Topic B: Twyman-Goshal, Anamika A. (2014). The Changing Nature of Contemporary Piracy – Results from the Contemporary Maritime Piracy Database 2001-2010. British Journal of Criminology (Oxford, United Kingdom). Retrieved from http://bjc.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/05/22/bjc.azu019.full.pdf+html Dua, Jatin (2012). The Context of Contemporary Piracy – The Case of Somalia. Journal of International Criminal Justice 10 (Oxford, United Kingdom). Retrieved from http://jicj.oxfordjournals.org/content/10/4/749.full.pdf+htm ICC International Maritime Bureau. Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships – Report for the Period 1 January – 31 December 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2014, from https://iccccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre/request-piracy-report ICC International Maritime Bureau. Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships – Report for the Period 1 January – 30 June 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014, from https://iccccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre/request-piracy-report General Assembly of the United Nations. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Retrieved October 25, 2014, from http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf ICC Commercial Crime Services. Live Piracy & Armed Robbery Report 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014, from https://iccccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre/live-piracy-report Business Insider. Pirates in South East Asia Are Threatening One of the World’s Busiest Shipping Lanes. Retrieved October 25, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.com/pirates-in-southeast-asia-are-threatening-one-of-the-worlds-busiestshipping-lanes-2014-6

Royal Naval Museum. A Brief History Of Piracy. Retrieved October 25, 2014, from http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_piracy.htm Maritime Connector. History Of Piracy. Retrieved October 25, 2014, from http://maritime-connector.com/wiki/history-ofpiracy/ [IMB Piracy & Armed Robbery Map 2014]. Retrieved 2014, October 12, from, https://icc-ccs.org/piracy-reportingcentre/live-piracy-map ICC Commercial Crime Services. Piracy & Armed Robbery Prone Areas and Warnings. Retrieved October 25, 2014, from https://icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre/prone-areas-and-warnings