Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On the origins of ISIS, I believed it emerged in Iraq in 2003 under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi before officially joining al-Qaeda in 2004. There was also the difficulty between Sunni tribes and the Iraqi Government. There is a dispute about the number of combatants ISIS has. The estimates range from 20,000 to 200,000, but how many are there? How much of ISIS comprises genuinely dissatisfied Sunnis from Iraq and Syria and how many are foreign jihadi?

Watching the conflict, people are struck by the number of modern weapons used. It has been argued that these were acquired following the collapse of the Iraqi army. There is the technical knowledge to use these weapons, which suggests many of those involved may have fought under the previous regime.

Could Dr. Hashemi comment on that? Is the key to defeating ISIS, not only about defeating it militarily but responding to the debate on the disaffected Sunnis in Iraq and Syria?

I presume this was the strategy of the American Government when it reached an agreement with the al-Maliki regime. With the lack of resources, that added to the tinder box.