Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham
By: Emily Schaldach
Background on Isis
It all started in Western Iraq and in eastern Syria. Leaders sucessfully gained about 6.5 residents to help fight along with them. The leaders based their drive off from al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden's organization. They formed not only terrorists, but they formed insurgent tactics, and a well organized militia. Al-Qaida moved it's way into Iraq by, Jordanian militant, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Isis then captured some of the sacred heartlands of the Sunni's of Iraq, (Mosul, Tikrit, etc.). This then made a political and theological statement to the Muslims all over the world, basically stating that the Isis terrorist group doesn't agree with anything the Muslims have to say; therefore, there is not need for Muslims on the face of this world.
Zarqawi's organization then had the U.S. forces in their cross hairs, along with the U.S.'s allies. Isis tried to make the U.S. get into a sectarian civil war by attackting the holy sites of the Shias, for example, the Imam al-Askari shrine in 2006.
Leaders
Some of Isis' main leaders are; Abu Bakr al-Baghadadi (aka. Ibrahim Awwad Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai), Abu al-Turkmani (aka, Ahmad Abdallah al Hayyali), and Abu Ali al-Anbari.
Threats
There is a group/ person who call themselves "Annonymous". They have helped save lives by finding out when the Isis terrorist's were going to attack.