A Brief History of ISIS By Tewfik Cassis, history- isis

A Brief History of ISIS By Tewfik Cassis, http://theweek.com/articles/589924/brief- history- isis ISIS considers itself the "Islamic Caliphate" (a theological empire) and controls vast swathes of land in western Iraq and eastern Syria. They also have "allegiance" from different radical Islamic groups around the world (from Afghanistan to Nigeria) who "govern" self- proclaimed provinces. Within the areas they control they have established a reign of terror second to none. They have institutionalized slavery and rape (particularly of adherents to the Yazidi religion who they view as devil worshippers) and have carried out genocide and ethnic cleansing of Christians, Alawites, and other Shiites and Yazidis in the territories they control. They have struck with a vengeance beyond their territories. Suicide attacks in Baghdad, Beirut, and Ankara killed hundreds. In October 2015, they detonated a bomb aboard a Russian airliner leaving from Sharm el- Sheikh airport in Egypt, killing all 224 people on board. In November, they orchestrated a multi- suicide attack in Paris, killing 129 people. They have inspired "lone- wolf" terror attacks by sympathizers in places as far away as Ottawa and Sydney. A bit of nomenclature: You may have heard about ISIS referred to as IS, ISIL, or Daesh. All of these acronyms describe the group in question. 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 is today. They named themselves that to assert their dominance in Syria (more on that later). ISIL: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (aka Greater Syria) is the name that Obama uses to describe the group (pretty much only Obama uses it). Superficially speaking, it is just a translation thing. IS: Islamic State is the name the group gave itself after a "rebranding" effort when they wanted to show off their global strategy (they wouldn't be limited to Syria and Iraq anymore). Daesh: You may have heard French President Francois Hollande refer to the group by this name. This is essentially the Arabic acronym of the group. People assume that using this word somehow weakens them it doesn't, because unfortunately in this case it is one of those "sticks and stones" things. Where did they come from? ISIS was born out of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. When U.S. administrators, under Paul Bremer, decided to "de- Baathify" the Iraqi civil and military services, hundreds of thousands of Sunnis formerly loyal to Saddam Hussein were left without a job and they were mad. Al Qaeda chose to capitalize on their anger and established al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) to wage an insurgency against U.S. troops in Iraq (Saddam was secular, but his intelligence and military supporters were able to make common cause with the jihadis of al Qaeda). During this time they were quite active in waging a sectarian war against Iran- backed Shiite militias in central Iraq and bombing hotels in neighboring Jordan. Many of their members were imprisoned in U.S.- run "Camp Bucca," where they were able to meet up and radicalize. Fast forward to the U.S. "surge" in 2007: The U.S.- installed, Shiite government in Baghdad began reaching out to Sunni tribes, encouraging them to reject AQI. By this point, AQI was basically defeated and it looked like peace was coming to the Middle East (kinda). Fast forward again to the Arab Spring and the uprising against Syrian dictator Bashar al- Assad (more info on that here). During the Iraq War, AQI would frequently go back and forth between Syria and Iraq to resupply, so it had a lot of contacts in the country. When Assad began shooting and gassing his own people, and the peaceful uprising turned into a civil war, AQI saw an opportunity to establish a presence there. It quickly moved into Syria, renamed itself as The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and merged with its Syrian counterpart. This pissed off al Qaeda's HQ, because they were already establishing a separate al Qaeda in Syria (aka al- Nusra front) and wanted it to remain separate. The two groups fought another mini- war amongst themselves and officially separated with AQI rebranding itself into the ISIS we hear about today. It is important to note that this tiff between the two groups was global and concerned some "practical" things (like if al Qaeda should rule territory or kill Sunnis), as well as ego matters (like if Osama Bin Laden's lieutenants, who have been on the run since 2001, should be the ones

calling the shots). The intra- jihadi battle was waged on the battlefields of Syria, Iraq, Somalia, and northwest Africa, as well as in jihadi forums on the darknet. As the Syrian civil war ground on, ISIS became the first rebel group to capture major cities (Raqqa and Deir ez- Zor). In the summer of 2014, the group had its breakout moment. In a lightning offensive, it captured Mosul in Iraq and drove south until it was on the borders of Baghdad. A few weeks later it rebranded itself as a Caliphate and demanded that all Muslims pledge allegiance (bay'ah). At this point, groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria and Ansar Beit Al Maqdis in Egypt's Sinai began pledging allegiance and flew the black flag of ISIS. They also established presences in half a dozen other countries. ISIS grew in notoriety through an aggressive social media and viral video strategy that had it engage with sympathizers and glorify violence. It beheaded many of its victims, including U.S. journalist James Foley. It often filmed executions through drowning, burning alive, and shooting. When it captured the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, it institutionalized slavery and rape of the Yazidi minority. In short, it installed a reign of barbaric terror. How did ISIS grow to become so powerful? There are a number of forces that can explain its strength. Feelings of disenfranchisement: Sunni communities in Iraq and Syria felt alienated by Shiite- and Alawite- led governments. ISIS played on these feelings, pushing forward a sense of victimhood and giving these communities a means to feel in control through violence. They also advanced a twisted interpretation of Islam that found ripe fodder among disenfranchised youth in the area. Unlikely bedfellows: ISIS partnered with the lieutenants of Saddam Hussein's secular regime (who used to hate jihadis) to perfect their tools of repression along the same lines that Saddam used. Syrian chaos: There is little doubt that as U.S. allies (Saudi Arabia, Qatar,and Turkey) ploughed money and arms into the Syrian civil war much of it ended up in the hands of ISIS (and other jihadi groups). Iraqi chaos: After the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, the atrophied Iraqi army was over- equipped and underprepared (and very corrupt) to deal with ISIS. Much of the weaponry ended up in ISIS's hands. Racketeering and extortion: Before ISIS formally controlled Mosul, it would run a racketeering business (similar to that used by the U.S. mafia) under the nose of the Iraqi government. Businesses and individuals had to pay them a "protection fee" to stay safe. Taxation and exploitation: Properties belonging to religious minorities or regime sympathizers were promptly appropriated (e.g. churches, gold, hard currency), and once ISIS controlled territory and people it began taxing them like any state would. Selling oil: It is the Middle East, so oil is always involved. While technically shut out from the international markets, ISIS could and did still find markets for its oil (usually in neighboring Turkey whose government was sympathetic to many of the Syrian jihadis). So what now? There are about a dozen countries (some of which hate each other) fighting ISIS. All of them (except for Iran, Syria, and Iraq) are basically doing it by bombing them from the sky. The U.S. has committed a few hundred "advisors" to the fight (and they are most certainly not wearing boots). Despite a yearlong campaign against ISIS, the group still controls a lot of territory (even capturing new ground like Palmyra in Syria) and has demonstrated that it can strike in the heart of the Western world. Post- Paris, there seems to be growing momentum for ground troop involvement against ISIS. The Obama administration has remained reluctant, insisting that its strategy is the successful one and that ISIS is weaker now than before. Syrian President Bashar al- Assad feels emboldened with Russia and Iran by his side, knowing that it is less likely for the West to oust him if the alternative will be ISIS. As the Syrian civil war closes its fifth year, ISIS seems stronger than ever and the refugee exodus does not look like it will end. As Western governments try to grapple with the threat of ISIS terror reaching the Western world, they will feel the pressure to lock out these refugees (who are also fleeing ISIS). By using refugees as a convenient scapegoat, the risk is alienating them, leaving them susceptible to the toxic mix of conspiracy theories and extremism that breeds jihadi violence. Note: It should go without saying that while ISIS is a radical Islamic group/movement, it does not, by any means, represent the views of the vast majority of Muslims. The majority of its victims have been Muslims and its twisted interpretation of the Koran is not shared by the 1 billion+ adherents of the Muslim faith.

ISIS: January 20, 2017 BBC News: http://www.bbc.com/news/world- middle- east- 27838034 The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) has lost almost a quarter of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria over the past year, according to new analysis. IS militants were in control of about 60,400 sq km (23,300 sq miles) in December 2016, compared with about 78,000 square km (30,100 sq miles) at the start of the year, the report by IHS Conflict Monitor says. This compares to a loss of about 14% over 2015. IS came to the world's attention in June 2014, when it overran Iraq's second city of Mosul and then moved southwards towards the capital Baghdad, routing the Iraqi army and threatening to eradicate the country's many ethnic and religious minorities. At its peak, some 10 million people were living in territory under IS control. However, a report by IHS Conflict Monitor in October 2016 suggested the figure was nearer six million. The current focus of the battle against IS has been for control of Mosul, the jihadist group's last major urban stronghold in Iraq. Iraqi special forces and army units have made steady progress in the eastern half of the city, while advances to the west by Shia- dominated paramilitary fighters are preventing IS from resupplying its forces. Columb Strack, senior analyst with IHS Conflict Monitor, said: "We expect Iraqi government forces to recapture Mosul before the second half of the year". "After Mosul, the Iraqi government will probably focus its attention on the remaining pocket of resistance around Hawija, which the jihadists are using as a base for their campaign of sustained terrorist attacks in Baghdad." The jihadists exploited the chaos and divisions within both Syria and Iraq. IS grew out of what was al- Qaeda in Iraq, which was formed by Sunni militants after the US- led invasion in

2003 and became a major force in the country's sectarian insurgency. In 2011, the group joined the rebellion against President Bashar al- Assad in Syria, where it found a safe haven and easy access to weapons. At the same time, it took advantage of the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, as well as widespread Sunni anger at the sectarian policies of the country's Shia- led government. In 2013, the group began seizing control of territory in Syria and changed its name to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis or Isil). The following year, Isis overran large swathes of northern and western Iraq, proclaimed the creation of a "caliphate", and became "Islamic State". An advance into areas controlled by Iraq's Kurdish minority, and the killing or enslaving of thousands of members of the Yazidi religious group, prompted a US- led multinational coalition to launch air strikes on IS positions in Iraq in August 2014. Exact numbers of casualties from the conflict with IS are not available. The UN says at least 6,878 civilians were killed in acts of violence in Iraq in 2016 - although the true figure is likely to be higher as the organisation has been unable to verify some reports of casualties in the Mosul area. The total number of civilian deaths in Iraq since August 2014 is now more than 19,700. The UN no longer keeps track of casualty figures in Syria due to the inaccessibility of many areas and the conflicting reports from the various parties to the war there. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK- based monitoring group, reported in September 2016 that more than 300,000 people, including 86,000 civilians, had been killed since March 2011. It warned that the actual death toll could be 70,000 higher as many armed groups did not report fatalities. Who is fighting IS? The US- led coalition has conducted more than 10,000 air strikes against IS targets in Iraq since August 2014. The UK launched its first air strikes on the group in Iraq the following month. Other nations taking part include Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Jordan, and the Netherlands. In Syria, the US- led air campaign began in September 2014. Since then, about 6,000 strikes have been carried out by coalition forces, which include Australia, Bahrain, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the UK. Russia is not part of the coalition, but its jets began air strikes against what it called "terrorists" in Syria in September 2015. There is little information from official sources about the Russian air strikes. However, the Institute for the Study of War says evidence suggests Russian planes have targeted deep into opposition- held territory, and helped Syrian government forces to retake control of the city of Aleppo in December 2016. Since then, Russia has continued to bomb Syrian opposition forces, as well as IS fighters around Palmyra - although ISW says this was in order to defend a nearby airbase, which is the Russian's main base of operations in central Syria. Other countries targeted by IS With the proclamation of a caliphate at the end of June 2014, IS signalled its intention to spread beyond Iraq and Syria. IS leader Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi quickly received oaths of the allegiance from jihadist militants in Libya, and within a year affiliates held territory in five countries and had footholds in several more. IS is now believed to be operational in 18 countries across the world, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to evidence seen by the US National Counterterrorism Center. It also found signs of what it called "aspiring branches" in Mali, Egypt, Somalia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines. During 2016, IS also claimed attacks in a number of countries including, Turkey, Indonesia, France, Belgium, Germany, the US and Bangladesh.

The proclamation of the caliphate also triggered a surge in the number of foreign fighters travelling to Syria and Iraq to join IS. A report published in December 2015 by the New York- based security consultancy Soufan Group estimated that 27,000 foreign jihadists had made the trip from 86 countries, more than half of them from the Middle East and North Africa. What has been re- captured? Elsewhere in Iraq and Syria, the conflict with IS has left cities and towns in ruins. Other areas have been cut off by IS militants, leaving their populations dependent on aid deliveries and black- market food supplies. One of the first major victories in the battle against IS was the recapture of the northern Syrian town of Kobane by Kurdish fighters in early 2015. The battle left more than 1,600 people dead and Kobane in ruins. But since then, Kurdish- led forces have driven IS militants out of thousands of square kilometres of northern Syria. Ramadi in western Iraq also suffered widespread destruction during a months- long offensive by Iraqi troops and pro- government militia that saw IS militants ousted from the city in January 2016, eight months after they overran it. If the assault on Mosul succeeds, attention will turn to de facto IS capital of Raqqa, in northern Syria. Palmyra in Syria was one of several ancient sites that IS ransacked and demolished. Its recapture by Syrian government forces aided by Russian air strikes in March 2016 was hailed by President Assad as an "important achievement" in the "war on terrorism". But IS members recaptured the city in December as government forces and their allies turned their attention to fighting local opposition forces in Aleppo and Damascus. How does IS get its funding? Oil was once the biggest single source of revenue for IS. The group seized control of many oil fields in Syria and Iraq, and sold oil on the black market. According to the Center for the Analysis of Terrorism, IS also lacks the technology to maintain ageing equipment, and wells are becoming more depleted, making the oil more difficult to extract. CAT found that extortion was the primary source of funding for IS in 2015. Money raised from taxes, fees, fines and confiscations accounted for 33% of the group's income, up from 12% the previous year, it said. As well as charging for services like water and electricity, IS levies taxes on products like wheat and cotton and it makes money from confiscating goods and property, which are then sold on. Analysis by the IHS Conflict Monitor said IS was now so short of funds it was imposing random fines for offences like driving on the wrong side of the road. The loss of territory and people under IS control means these sources of revenue are likely to continue decreasing. A report in the Huffington Post in July 2016 said it seemed likely that IS was no longer generating enough revenue to fund its operations. Where are the refugees? More than 4.8 million Syrians have fled abroad to escape the fighting in Syria, according to the UN. Most have ended up in neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Since then a deal between the EU and Turkey has curbed the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean - although Syrians still form the largest group of asylum- seekers in Europe. Germany received more than 740,000 asylum applications in 2016-268,866 were from Syrian refugees, according to the interior ministry. The UN estimates there are more than three million Iraqis who have been forced to leave their homes to escape the conflict with IS and are displaced within the country. The organisation has warned that the battle for control of Mosul could spark a mass exodus of another million people. But production has fallen since US- led coalition and Russian air strikes began targeting the oil infrastructure.