ISIS

Background

• ISIS= Islamic State of Iraq and Syria• ISIL= Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant• Most significant threat to Iraq’s security since

America left in 2011• An offshoot of al-Qaeda– united thousands of foreign fighters under a desire to

redraw Middle East borders– GOAL: to create an Islamic state governed by an

extremist interpretation of Islamic law (from Iraq to Syria)

ISIL identified

June 2014

• Militants have been seizing cities• Displacing hundreds of thousands• Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is ISIS leader– US State Dept offering $10 million for his capture

• Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi PM– Weak security forces– Despite millions from Americans– Absence of national unity– Has driven many Sunnis and Kurds away

• Iraqi Sunnis are turning to extremists to protect them

• Parts of Iraq’s border with Syria has been erased by ISIS– Took the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi in January– Controls several provinces– Baghdad is rocked by regular bombings

• Ultra-extremists have flourished in Syria by seizing territories that were poorly run by opposition factions

ISIS gaining support

• Hold anti-regime forums in neighborhood squares

• Fun activities for children to gain early support• Hand out charity while promoting its mandate• Attempting to lay the groundwork for a future

Islamic state – By gradually socializing Syrians to the concept

• Iranian president Hassan Rouhani– “is ready to help Iraq—if

asked—and would consider “cooperation” with any American efforts”

August 20, 2014

• ISIS sends out video showing beheading of US journalist James Foley– Threatens life of another journalist– Warns Obama to stop military action in Iraq

• Foley disappeared in Nov 2012 in Syria– Working for US news site GlobalPost

• Predicted: 20 journalists missing in Syria, many by ISIS

September 2, 2014• ISIS sends another video of the beheading of

US journalist Steven Sotloff– Disappeared while reporting in Syria, 2013– Wanted to show suffering of the Arab world