Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -ad-Dawlah l الدولة السلمية :The Islamic State (IS); (Arabic ʾIslāmiyyah), formerly the Islamic State of Iraq and the Islamic State (Arabic) الدولة السلمية Dāʿish) or the داعش :Levant (ISIL /ˈaɪsəl/; Arabic acronym Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS /ˈaɪsɪs/),[a] is a Sunni ad-Dawlah l-ʾIslāmiyyah jihadist group in the Middle East. In its self-proclaimed status as a caliphate, it claims religious authority over all Muslims across the world,[65] and aspires to bring much of the Muslim- inhabited regions of the world under its political control[66] beginning with Iraq, Syria and other territories in the Levant region which include Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Flag Coat of arms Cyprus and part of southern Turkey.[67] It has been designated Motto: (Arabic) باقية وتتمدد as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, the "Bāqiyah wa-Tatamaddad" (transliteration) United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Indonesia and Saudi "Remaining and Expanding"[1][2] Arabia, and has been described by the United Nations[68] and Western and Middle Eastern media as a terrorist group. The United Nations and Amnesty International have accused the group of grave human rights abuses. ISIS is the successor to Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al- Rafidayn—later commonly known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI)—formed by Abu Musab Al Zarqawi in 1999, which took part in the Iraqi insurgency against American-led forces and their Iraqi allies following the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[67][69] During the 2003–2011 Iraq War, it joined other Sunni insurgent groups to form the Mujahideen Shura Council As of 4 September 2014 and consolidated further into the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI Areas controlled by the Islamic State [69][70] Areas claimed by the Islamic State /ˈaɪsɪ/). At its height, it enjoyed a significant presence Rest of Iraq and Syria in the Iraqi governorates of Al Anbar, Nineveh, Kirkuk, most of Salah ad Din, parts of Babil, Diyala and Baghdad, and Note: map includes uninhabited areas. claimed Baqubah as a capital city.[71][72][73][74] However, the Capital Ar-Raqqah, violent attempts by the Islamic State of Iraq to govern its Syria[3][4] territory led to a backlash from Sunni Iraqis and other 35°57ʹN 39°1ʹE insurgent groups circa 2008, which helped to propel the Government Caliphate Awakening movement and a temporary decline in the - Caliph[5] Ibrahim[6][7] group.[69][75] Establishment ISIS grew significantly under the leadership of Abu Bakr al- - Islamic State of Iraq and 3 January the Levant declared 2014[8][9] Baghdadi gaining support in Iraq as a result of alleged [5] economic and political discrimination against Iraqi Sunnis. - Caliphate declared 29 June 2014 Then, after entering the Syrian Civil War, it established a Time zone Arabia Standard large presence in the Syrian governorates of Ar-Raqqah, Idlib, Time (UTC+3) Drives on the Drives on the Deir ez-Zor and Aleppo.[76] In June 2014, it had at least 4,000 right [77] fighters in its ranks in Iraq. It has claimed responsibility Calling code +963 (Syria) for attacks on government and military targets and for attacks +964 (Iraq) that killed thousands of civilians.[78] In August 2014, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that the Islamic State number of fighters in the group had increased to 50,000 in (Arabic) الدولة السلمية [18] Syria and 30,000 in Iraq. ISIS had close links to al-Qaeda Participant in the Iraq War, the Global War on until February 2014 when, after an eight-month power Terrorism, the Iraqi insurgency, and the Syrian Civil struggle, al-Qaeda cut all ties with the group, reportedly for War its brutality and "notorious intractability".[79][80] ISIS’s original aim was to establish a caliphate in the Sunni- majority regions of Iraq, and following its involvement in the Syrian Civil War this expanded to include controlling Sunni- majority areas of Syria.[81] A caliphate was proclaimed on 29 June 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi—now known as Amir al- Mu'minin Caliph Ibrahim—was named as its caliph, and the group was renamed the Islamic State.[5] Flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Active 2004–present[10][11] (under various [12] Contents names) Ideology Sunni Islamism Salafist Jihadism 1 Name and name changes Worldwide Caliphate 2 Ideology and beliefs Anti-Shiaism 3 Goals Leaders Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 4 Territorial claims (Caliph)[5] 4.1 Governance Abu Omar al-Shishani (Field 5 Analysis Commander)[13][14] 6 Propaganda and social media Abu Mohammad al-Adnani 7 Finances (Spokesman)[15] 8 Equipment Headquarters Ar-Raqqah, Syria 9 History Area of Iraq Syria 9.1 As Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (1999– operations 2004) Lebanon[16][17] 9.2 As Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al- Strength 80,000–100,000 (up to 50,000 in Rafidayn (2004–2006) Syria and 30,000 in Iraq)[18][19] 9.2.1 Involvement in Iraqi Insurgency Part of al-Qaeda (2004[20]–2014)[21] 9.2.2 Inciting sectarian violence Originated as Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad 9.2.3 Operations outside Iraq and other (The Group of Monotheism and Jihad) activities Mujahideen Shura Council 9.2.4 Goals and umbrella organizations Islamic State of Iraq 9.3 As Islamic State of Iraq (2006–2013) Al Qaeda in Iraq 9.3.1 Strength and activity Allies Boko Haram[22] 9.3.2 Decline Jemaah Islamiya[23] 9.3.3 Conflicts with other groups al-Qaeda in the Islamic 9.3.4 Transformation and resurgence Maghreb[24] 9.4 As Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant al-Qaeda in the Arabian (2013–2014) Peninsula[25] 9.4.1 Declaration and dispute with al- Bangsamoro Islamic [26] Nusra Front Freedom Fighters 9.4.2 Conflicts with other groups Opponents North Atlantic Treaty 9.4.3 Relations with the Syrian Organization[27][28][29] government 9.5 As Islamic State (2014–present) United States[29] 10 Human rights abuses United Kingdom[28] 10.1 War crimes accusations France[28] 10.2 Religious persecution Italy[28] 10.3 Treatment of civilians Germany[28] 10.4 Sexual violence allegations Poland[28] 10.5 Guidelines for civilians Denmark[28] 11 Timeline of events Canada[28] 11.1 2003–06 events Turkey[28] 11.2 2007 events Australia (GP) [28] 11.3 2009–12 events al-Qaeda 11.4 2013 events al-Nusra Front[30] 11.5 2014 events Ansar al-Islam[31] 12 Notable members 13 Designation as a terrorist organization Sunni Iraqi Insurgents 14 See also Naqshbandi Army [32] 15 Notes Supreme Command for 16 References Jihad and Liberation 17 Bibliography General Military Council for 18 External links Iraqi Revolutionaries[33][34] Islamic Army in Iraq Name and name changes Iran[35] The group has had a number of different names since its Islamic Revolutionary formation in early 1999; as Jamāʻat al-Tawḥīd wa-al-Jihād, Guard [10][69] "The Organization of Monotheism and Jihad" (JTJ). Quds Force[36] In October 2004, the group leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Iraq swore loyalty to Osama bin Laden and changed the name of the group to Tanẓīm Qāʻidat al-Jihād fī Bilād al-Rāfidayn, Iraqi Armed Forces "The Organization of Jihad's Base in the Country of the Two Iraqi Shia militias Rivers," more commonly known as "Al-Qaeda in Iraq" Iraqi Turkmen Front[37] [10][82] (AQI). Although the group has never called itself "Al- Awakening Councils Qaeda in Iraq", this name has frequently been used to describe it through its various incarnations.[12] Kurdish forces In January 2006, AQI merged with several smaller Iraqi Peshmerga insurgent groups under an umbrella organization called the People's Protection Units[38] "Mujahideen Shura Council." This was little more than a media exercise and an attempt to give the group a more Iraqi Assyrian forces flavour and perhaps to distance al-Qaeda from some of al- Zarqawi's tactical errors, notably the 2005 bombings by AQI Syriac Military Council[39] of three hotels in Amman.[83] Al-Zarqawi was killed in June Sutoro[40] 2006, after which the group direction shifted again. Assyrian Patriotic Party[41] Assyrian Democratic On 12 October 2006, the Mujahideen Shura Council joined four more insurgent factions and the representatives of a Movement[42][43] number of Iraqi Arab tribes, and together they swore the Qaraqosh Protection traditional Arab oath of allegiance known as Ḥilf al- Committee[44] Muṭayyabīn ("Oath of the Scented Ones").[b][84][85] During the ceremony, the participants swore to free Iraq's Sunnis Syria[45] from what they described as Shia and foreign oppression, and to further the name of Allah and restore Islam to Syrian Armed Forces glory.[c][84] Syrian Opposition[46][47][48] On 13 October 2006, the establishment of the Dawlat al- Free Syrian Army ʻIraq al-Islāmīyah, "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI) was Syria Revolutionaries Front announced.[10][86] A cabinet was formed and Abu Abdullah Islamic Front al-Rashid al-Baghdadi became ISI's figurehead emir, with the [49] real power residing with the Egyptian Abu Ayyub al- Army of Mujahedeen [87] Masri. The declaration was met with hostile criticism, not United States (aerial only from ISI's jihadist rivals in Iraq, but from leading operations)[50] jihadist ideologues outside the country.[88] Al-Baghdadi and al-Masri were both killed in a US–Iraqi operation in April United States Navy[51] 2010. The next leader of the ISI was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the current leader of ISIS.