How did ISIS begin?
The history of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) can be traced back to the Iraqi faction of al-Qaida, a Sunni terrorist organization. Before his death in 2006, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi led al-Qaida and major bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in Iraq.
Al-Qaida became weaker after al-Zarqawi’s death, especially with the Sunni Awakening, an alliance of Iraqi Sunni tribes supported by the United States fighting in opposition.
In 2011, al-Qaida used the Syrian conflict to its advantage and moved into Syria from Iraq, their current base. By 2013, influence spread back into Iraq, where the group’s name changed to ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
What have they done?
ISIS made its way from Syria into Iraq toward Baghdad thanks to a combination of a shrewd military and unfathomable brutality. The organization is known for social media accounts that have shown disturbing videos of their fighters torturing and executing masses of unarmed prisoners. They have also taken advantage of trained Iraqi government forces who lack the motivation to put up a strong fight against ISIS.
Who is involved?
The CIA estimates that ISIS’s total fighting force could have more than 30,000 people, about half of them foreign fighters who left their native country to travel halfway around the world in order to join the terror group. It has been estimated that more than 1,000 of the foreign fighters are from the western hemisphere, with around 100 of them American.
Is ISIS part of al-Qaida?
ISIS was originally an al-Qaida affiliate, but after ISIS leader Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi’s 2014 public falling-out with al-Qaida core leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, the two went their separate ways. A February 2014 letter obtained by the Long War Journal showed the disdain of al-Qaida’s senior leadership toward al-Baghdadi and implied that all ties with ISIS had been cut.
Is ISIS a threat to the United States?
In the past, ISIS has mainly focused its attention on its regional neighbors, but the August 2014 execution of U.S. journalist James Foley might be evidence of change. Foley’s execution followed U.S. involvement in recapturing the Mosul Dam. The Mosul Dam is an Iraqi dam that, if not given proper attention could flood more than 65 feet deep in the city of Mosul, resulting in significant loss of life and property. The United States provided airstrikes to take back the dam. In Foley’s execution video, an ISIS fighter addressed Obama directly, saying that Foley’s death was a retaliation for the airstrikes against the dam.
The latest ISIS News
Turkey launched a military operation in northern Syria Feb. 21 to rescue Turkish soldiers surrounded by ISIS. The Turkish soldiers were guarding an Ottoman tomb that houses the remains of important historical figure Suleyman Shah. To ensure ISIS didn’t interfere, Turkey moved its 38 guards and Shah’s remains.
Why should I care?
Many people believe that recent Muslim hate crimes, such as the triple murder in Chapel Hill, are a result of an ISIS mentality in the United States.