For more than three years, the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), now the Islamic State (IS), has wreaked havoc in Syria and more recently in Iraq, butchering its way from the outskirts of Aleppo all the way to Nineveh, Anbar and Salaheddin, almost to the environs of Baghdad. The time has come to reverse the tide against this monstrous organization and scatter its ruthless fighters in disarray. Instead of it freely embarking on an unstoppable hunt, IS should be haunted by the specter of swift, decisive, and catastrophic international intervention. The cycle of death must be reversed. It is a moral duty to destroy this inhumane beast.

ISIS dominated the chaotic Syria scene after its daring raid on Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison on July 21, 2013, when the group freed some 500 jihadists from the notorious facility, including dozens of senior leaders and operatives. Since then, its fighters have engaged in a horrific game of one-upmanship, as foreign fighters from Europe, Asia, the Caucasus, North Africa, the Gulf and other Middle Eastern countries seek to outdo each other with acts of shocking violence and gore. The atrocities have multiplied exponentially over the past two months, particularly in the aftermath of the June 10 takeover of Mosul.

Demoralized by swift IS gains and gruesome mass executions of soldiers and residents, the Iraqi security apparatus crumbled. IS's sectarian strategy bore some fruit, as the ostensibly secular Iraqi army began partnering with Shiite militias, reifying Sunni Iraqi fears of an overtly Shiite state apparatus. Contrast the image of demoralized Iraqi soldiers fleeing Mosul before the invasion with the gleeful, victorious scenes of drive-by shootings and executions by IS fighters in their propaganda videos.

As incompetent as they may have been, Iraq's armed forces received a moral boost when US President Barack Obama authorized air strikes against IS in northern Iraq, coupled with hurried Russian and Iranian decisions to equip the Iraqi air force with fighter jets. In addition, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's willingness to seek help from experienced and battle-hardened Shiite militias, such as Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, not only relieved the army but also proved efficient. To date, the only notable anti-IS military success was recorded days ago, in late August, by Asai'b, when its fighters managed to break the IS siege on Amerli, together with the Iraqi army and Kurdish peshmerga forces.