Last edited 2 hours ago by P123ct1 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Islamic State[1][2] الدولة الإسلامية Flag Coat of arms Motto: باقية وتتمدد (Arabic) Bāqiyah wa-Tatamaddad (transliteration) Remaining and Expanding[3][4] As of 19 July 2014 Areas controlled by the Islamic State Areas claimed by the Islamic State Rest of Iraq and Syria As of 19 July 2014 Areas controlled by the Islamic State Areas claimed by the Islamic State Rest of Iraq and Syria Status Unrecognized state Capital Ar-Raqqah[5] 35°57′N 39°1′E Official languages Arabic Government Islamic caliphate[1] - Caliph[1] Ibrahim[6][7] Establishment - Independence declared 3 January 2014[8] - Caliphate declared 29 June 2014[1] Time zone (UTC+3) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant الدولة الاسلامية في العراق والشام (Arabic) al-Dawlah al-Islāmīyah Participant in the Iraq War, the Global War on Terrorism, the Iraqi insurgency, and the Syrian Civil War Flag of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.svg Flag of the Islamic State Active 2003 – present[9] (various names)[10] Ideology Wahhabism Salafist Jihadism Worldwide Caliphate anti-Shiaism Leaders Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Caliph)[1] Abu Omar al-Shishani (Field Commander)[11][12] Abu Mohammad al-Adnani (Spokesman)[13] Headquarters Ar-Raqqah Area of operations Iraq, Syria, Lebanon[14][15] Strength 7,000-20,000[16][17][18] (up to 6,000 in Iraq and 3,000–5,000 in Syria)[19] Part of al-Qaeda (2004[20]–2014)[21] Originated as Jamaat al-Tawhid wa-al-Jihad al-Qaeda in Iraq Mujahideen Shura Council Islamic State of Iraq Allies Harakat Sham al-Islam Suqour al-Ezz[22] Logo of the Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order.png Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order[23] Opponents Syria Syrian Armed Forces Syria Syrian Opposition[24][25][26] Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps[27] Iraq Iraqi Armed Forces Multi-National Force (2004–2009) US Forces – Iraq (2010–2011) Iraq Awakening Councils Turkey Turkish Armed Forces (border clashes)[28][29][30][31] Hezbollah[32] Iraq Iraqi Shia militias Al-Nusra Front[33] Ansar al-Islam[34] Peshmerga Iraqi Turkmen Front[35][dead link] Peoples Protection Units Flag.svg Peoples Protection Units [36] Battles and wars Iraq War Second Battle of Fallujah Civil war in Iraq (2006–07)[37] Iraqi Insurgency Anbar campaign (2013–14) 2014 Northern Iraq offensive Syrian Civil War 2013 Latakia offensive[22] Syrian Kurdish–Islamist conflict[38] Battle of Qalamoun[39] Inter-rebel conflict in Syria Battle of Aleppo Deir ez-Zor clashes The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), alternately translated as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (referring to Greater Syria; Arabic: الدولة الاسلامية في العراق والشام al-Dawlah al-Islāmīyah fī al-ʻIrāq wa-al-Shām), also known by the Arabic acronym DAESH (Arabic: داعش Dāʻesh), now called simply the Islamic State (IS)[1][7][40] (Arabic: الدولة الإسلامية al-Dawlah al-Islāmīyah), is an unrecognized state and an active jihadist terrorist[41] group in Iraq and Syria. In its self-proclaimed status as a caliphate, it claims religious authority over all Muslims and aspires to bring much of the Muslim-inhabited regions of the world under its direct political control,[2] beginning with nearby territory in the Levant region, which includes Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus, and an area in southern Turkey that includes Hatay.[42][43] The group, in its original form, was composed of and supported by a variety of Sunni insurgent groups, including its predecessor organizations, the Mujahideen Shura Council, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), the insurgent groups Jaysh al-Fatiheen, Jund al-Sahaba, Katbiyan Ansar Al-Tawhid wal Sunnah and Jeish al-Taiifa al-Mansoura, and a number of Iraqi tribes that profess Sunni Islam. ISIS grew significantly as an organization owing to its participation in the Syrian Civil War and the strength of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Economic and political discrimination against Iraqi Sunnis since the fall of Saddam Hussein also helped it to gain support. At the height of the Iraq War, its forerunners enjoyed a significant presence in the Iraqi governorates of Al Anbar, Ninawa, Kirkuk, most of Salah ad Din, parts of Babil, Diyala and Baghdad, and claimed Baqubah as a capital city.[44][45][46][47] In the ongoing Syrian Civil War, ISIS has a large presence in the Syrian governorates of Ar-Raqqa, Idlib and Aleppo.[48][49] ISIS is known for its harsh interpretation of Wahhabi Islam and its brutal violence,[50][51] which is directed at Shia Muslims and Christians in particular.[52] It has at least 4,000 fighters in its ranks[53] who, in addition to attacks on government and military targets, have claimed responsibility for attacks that have killed thousands of civilians.[54] ISIS had close links with al-Qaeda until 2014, but in February of that year, after an eight-month power struggle, al-Qaeda cut all ties with the group, reportedly for its notorious intractability[55] and wanton brutality.[56][not in citation given] ISIS’s original aim was to establish a caliphate in the Sunni-majority regions of Iraq. Following its involvement in the Syrian Civil War, this expanded to include controlling Sunni-majority areas of Syria.[57] A caliphate was proclaimed on 29 June 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi—now known as Amir al-Muminin Caliph Ibrahim—was named as its caliph, and the group was renamed the Islamic State.[1][6][7] Name and name changes Ideology and beliefs Goals Territorial claims Analysis Finances Equipment History Timeline of events Notable members See also Notes References Bibliography External links Read in another language Wikipedia ® MobileDesktop Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted. Terms of UsePrivacy
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 13:43:44 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015