The islamic state, or isis, is a militant organization that emerged as an offshoot of al qaeda in 2014. State of iraq and the levant isil, a name that holds symbolic meaning and is. Policy congressional research service summary the islamic state is, aka the islamic state of iraq and the levant, isilisis, or the arabic acronym daesh is a transnational sunni islamist insurgent and terrorist group that controlled large areas of. The rise and fall of isis hague centre for strategic studies. Isis, declared the insurgent and terrorist group jabhat al nusra li ahl al sham to be subordinate to him in april 20 barrett, 2014, p. As alsham is a region often compared with the levant or greater syria, the group s name has been variously translated as islamic state of iraq and alsham, islamic state of iraq and syria both abbreviated as isis, or islamic state of iraq and the levant abbreviated as isil. Isis however introduced a somewhat new modus operandi compared to other islamist terrorist groups, visible in the aim to acquire territory, instead of merely enlarging the group of supporters. Isis thus also changed the structure of its network introducing wilayats provinces into which existing terrorist groups were transformed and. The following is a list of terrorist attacks and arrests that have been connected to or have been claimed in reliable sources to be inspired by the islamic state of iraq and the levant isil, also known as the islamic state of iraq and syria isis or daesh between june 2014, when isil proclaimed itself to be the islamic state, and february 2018, isil has often made claims of responsibility.
Baghdadi rebranded the outfit as the islamic state of iraq and levant in april 20 freemen, 2014. Isis is more than a terrorist group foreign affairs. List of terrorist incidents linked to isil wikipedia. Isis is not a terrorist group, foreign affairs, marchapril 2015a. It includes a global overview, regional summaries, and detailed analysis on select countries and conflicts. Understanding the islamic state and principles for defeating it. It was inspired by al qaida but later publicly expelled from it. Isis and the third wave of jihadism current history. Members of the group have carrier out more than 140 terrorist attacks in nearly three dozen countries, killing some 2,000 people since the summer of 2014, according to published reports.
Isis worldwide, they are most worried about the libyan arm based in surt, a port city on the mediterranean about four hundred miles southeast of sicily. The obama administration but recognize that counterterrorism strategies alone wont defeat isis in iraq and syria. Isis is not a terrorist group linnbenton community. Islamic state is islamic state of iraq and ash sham isis islamic state of iraq isis or isil, is, also known as islamic state of iraq and sham isis, islamic state of iraq and syria, al qaeda in iraq, islamic state of iraq and the levant isil, islamic state, daesh daish, daish dawlatulislam filiraqi washsham is an active group formed c. Islamic state in iraq and the levant isil, arabic aldawlah alislamiyyah fi al. Funding isis the washington institute for near east policy. Starting with isil itself and its socalled caliphate, we examine critical elements of the. It quickly took control of large parts of iraq and syria, raising its black flag in victory and declaring the creation of a caliphate and imposing strict islamic rule. Isis and the third wave of jihadism 341 aladnani, to a request more than a year ago by rival militant islamists in syria who called for isis to submit to a sharia court so that a dispute with other factions could be properly adjudicated.
Isis, islamic state of iraq and the levant isil, daesh the arabic. However, as isis is the main group making use of foreign fighters in syria, we can use those figures as a rough outline of their numbers. The islamic state organization is, aka the islamic state of iraq and the levant, isilisis, or the. Islamiyyah commonly referred to as alqaeda in iraq was a militant salafist jihadist group that aimed to establish an islamic state in sunni, arabmajority areas of iraq during the iraq war and later in syria during the syrian civil war. In his audio message on 8th april, he included jabhat alnusra jn as well, which is a terrorist organisation active in syria and affiliated to alqaida, as part of isis. Islamic state of iraq and syria was the name of the group when it captured mosul in 2014 and became the terrorist juggernaut it. The isis factories in mosul, iraq manufacture weapons on an industrial scale such as bombs, mortar rounds, and rockets. Isis is arguably the most successful militant group ever, seizing huge chunks of iraq and syria, declaring itself a state and governing territory. Infamous for its brutal violence and murderous assaults. Most countries consider isis as one of the most dangerous terrorist organization in which operation has brought a major threat to national security and peace in many countries, as well to human. The islamic state in iraq and the levant isis is so hardline that it was disavowed by alqaidas leader, ayman alzawahiri.
The lords resistance armys lra logo is included because its leader joseph kony has been designated under eo 224 and the lra is on the department. In january 2017, a the isis telecom department submitted a request form to the terrorist groups agency in charge of handing out war spoils. Despite a fairly new name, isis has a considerable pedigree as a terrorist and insurgent organisation. In these situations, early action, driven or supported by the eu and its member states, would generate stronger prospects for peace. Tackling terrorists exploitation of youth jessica triso darden 5 to foreign terrorist fighters between april 20 and june 2018. Family at peace with death of american killed fighting isis. Isil islamic state of iraq and the levant or daesh. It has built support among local jihadist groups in the middle east, africa, south. Fatf report financing of recruitment for terrorist purposes. Rand terrorism experts have analyzed the groups financing, management, and organization. Nightly news full broadcast june 11 us teen pleads guilty to helping isis. Other terrorist groups, such as hamas, also continue to look to the united states as a venue for revenue generation.
The islamic state of iraq and alsham isis is the worlds bestfunded terrorist group and is richer than some small countries. Isis islamic state of iraq and syria, also known as isil islamic state of iraq and the levant, is a sunni jihadist group with a particularly violent ideology that calls itself a caliphate and claims religious authority over all muslims. At the height of its power, isis was perceived as the biggest contemporary terrorist threat to world security. Its history, ideology, and psychology researchgate. In regards to isis, at least since october 2016, iraqi forces have been gaining territory in mosul, the secondlargest city of iraq, which had been taken by isis on june 10, 20143. For one, the isissponsored network in europe includes at least 90 welltrained, wellsupported, and wellsupplied operatives. Despite loss of territory by isis in 2015, and thus loss of access to resources, the. But the group that recently renamed itself simply the islamic state has. This did not go over well with al nusras leader, abu mohammed al golani, and abu bakr betrayed his true connections to al qaeda when he. Terrorist groups like the islamic state of iraq and syria isis have. The term terrorist best fits organizations for which terrorism is the principal or sole. Isisincluding officially declaring war on the terrorist group and allowing coalition forces to use its incirlik airbase after months of negotiationscame more than a year after the terrorist group first directly threatened turkey. The emergence of the islamic state also known as isis, isil, or daesh transformed. Led by an iraqi called abu bakr albaghdadi, isis was originally an alqaida group in iraq, the islamic state of iraq isi.
The groups whose logos are displayed on these pages, with one exception, have been designated foreign terrorist organizations by the us department of state or by executive order eo 224. Fto, foreign terrorist organization, terrorist organization. Isis is also an insurgent group, waging wars of insurgency in both. Isis is not a terrorist group why counterterrorism wont stop the latest jihadist threat by audrey kurth cronin, foreign affairs, marchapril 2015 after 911, many within the u. Counter terrorist trends and analyses volume 10, issue 1 january 2018 3 despite the small numbers on the ground, is is growing both in the physical and cyber space in afghanistanpakistan and the yemensaudi theatres. Islamic state is islamic state of iraq and ash sham. Indeed, even as isis carried out attacks in turkey and took turkish citizens. Crisis groups earlywarning watch list identifies up to ten countries and regions at risk of conflict or escalation of violence. How does isis, now controlling territory in syria and iraq, fill its coffers. Does isis really differ from other terrorist groups.
Islamic state is, isis, isil, daesh universiteit leiden. Infamous for its brutal violence and murderous assaults on civilians, this selfdescribed. The rise and fall of the islamic state of iraq and alsham. As is relocates to its existing wilayat and searches for new theatres in 2018, it will. For the top ideologues of salafi jihadism, such statements and actions are sacrilegious, smearing. The terrorist groups evolution from fervid fantasy to death cult bobby ghosh aug 14 2014, the atlantic the sunni militants who now threaten to take over iraq seemed to spring from nowhere when they stormed mosul in early june.
Isis turned to out to be too extreme and brutal not just for jabhat alnusra, but for alqaida itself, leading to a public repudiation by zawahiri, who last month called on isis to leave syria and. In this paper, we analyze the phenomenon of isis and its unique history through the. The attacks exposed the vulnerability of eu state borders resulting from the schengen. Isis is a powerful terrorist militant group that has seized control of large areas of the middle east. The recent terrorist attack in paris has shown that isis supported. Tweets posted by the reported isisrelated accounts. No less important were the terrorist attacks in berlin4 5and istanbul, which were examples of how terrorist attacks are permeating the international context as well. The islamic state, or isis, may use terrorism as a tactic, but unlike al qaeda it is not a terrorist organization.
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