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Subject 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER
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Original Message Disclaimer: Information contained in daily updates comes from the various Iraqi threads and the Institute for the Study of War.

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CONTENTS

1. Geopolitical and Historical Summary

2. History of ISIS

3. Encyclopedia

4. Misc Links


Geopolitical and Historical Summary

The Islamic State: [link to pbs.twimg.com (secure)]

This all began before Syria and Iraq. ISIS' predecessor, ISI, was the Iraqi front of Al Qaeda. As such, it was composed of jihadists from all over the world. The present crisis is just a step in a history going back to America's creation of Al Qaeda back in the 80s.

Basically, America wanted to create militant Sunni organizations to offset the new jihadist and pro-Communist regime in Iran, which overthrew the American-backed Shah-regime in '79. Back then, America was terrified of an Islamic anti-American revolution spreading throughout the Islamic world and of the prospect of losing a foothold in the oil-rich Middle East. This was, recall, just after the gas and inflation crises of the 70s.

Militant Sunni guerrilla forces were the answer. Al Qaeda spent much of its history fighting the Iranians (and even the Sauds). However, the great historical problem of these groups is that most of them "went native" and, by radicalizing the Islamic world's youth, were infused with a new generation of militants without concern for America's foreign policy interests. They rebelled against America, but the Clinton administration was happy to keep supporting them via the CIA. Simply put, even if they were no longer coordinating with the West, they were still a thorn in Russia and Iran's side. This changed, or so the story goes, with 9/11 (personally, I don't know whether that was an inside job or not - the evidence is compelling, but I take no stand).

With the invasion of Iraq, these Sunni militants suddenly found reason to openly attack American interests. Yes, isolated incidents had occurred before the invasion, but things really picked up after 2003.

The seeds of Sunni jihad that America had planted in the 80s coalesced into a broad anti-American faction of holy warriors, bent on preserving the sanctity of Islamic land in the face of foreign and infidel invaders.

Now, with the Arab Spring, these militants have built enough gravitas and become enough of a social force in the Sunni Islamic world to topple the majority of the West's puppet regimes. With their recent success in Iraq, they are undertaking the next logical step in this process: the creation of a Sunni caliphate and the corollary elimination of Shia power. Their advance has brought them money, armaments, and allies, and with the addition of popular support they are carving out a new Islamic State against all the norms and predictions governing international society. All-in-all, this is proceeding much how the Americans hoped back in the 80s under Reagan: Sunni forces are coalescing to oppose Iran. It simply took a few more decades to kick off, and the situation has gotten out of control. Rather than promoting American interests, the Sunni jihadist social movement has come to define itself as anti- American.

This is one reason America got involved in the Arab Spring straight away - it wanted to steer events in its favor. It totally failed. Funding non-Shia regimes in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Kuwait, and Pakistan prior to the revolution was all well-and-good, but none of them would bring the fight to Iran. (Iraq did in the 80s, but failed). Yet, these pro-US regimes in Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have all been toppled by Sunnis since c. 2010. The anti-US conflicts in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan continue, the conflict in Pakistan was far more democratic, and the conflict in Libya was a shitstorm from the beginning.

The case of Egypt is particularly interesting, insofar as the American-backed Muslim Brotherhood co-opted the revolution in the beginning, only to be themselves toppled by anti-US Sunni sentiment. Egypt is the most conspicuous case of Western attempts to co-opt the Arab Spring. The West never had any chance of doing so, of course, because the Spring was fundamentally an anti-West revolution, not a pro-democracy revolution. Liberal intellectuals in the Islamic world liked to portray it as democratic, and they got on all the media stages and allowed America's liberals to feel very happy ("Look! Bush was wrong, we were right!"). But in truth the whole thing was a pro-Sunni, anti-America revolt from the outset.

You might ask: Why, then, did a democratic Egyptian people succeed in Egypt? Two points: first, the second Egyptian revolution was partially democratic because Egypt is the most enlightened Islamic country. That doesn't entail that it's pro-America though. Second, the second revolution was driven by the Army, not the people, which is powerful only because it is the indirect recipient of American money. Militarism, not popular solidarity, produced the conditions for democratic Egypt.

In Libya, Ghaddafi turned from the US orbit awhile ago (c. 2005 if I remember correctly), but was still originally a US creation. The same goes for Assad, who was originally a US-backed creation to prevent Syria going an anti-Israel alliance.

Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey remain the three stable pillars of the Islamic world. Jordan is the same, to a lesser degree. Each is independent of American control. The dialogue in Mesopotamia is now one between these three powers, with a radical Sunni force carving out their own piece of the pie in the middle. Events are complicated by the broader list of new factions subordinate to no power (Libya, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon (AKA Hezbollah), and Palestine).

So, in short, ISIS is part of a broad Islamic movement initially organized by the US for the sake of marginalizing the Shia and safeguarding Israel and America's oil interests. The situation, however, has gotten out of America's control, and age-old religious sentiment has taken over and now threatens to birth a Caliphate. Whether such a state is born depends on the actions, first, of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran; second, of Israel; and third, of Egypt.

History of ISIS

The present conflict in Iraq emerges from the confluence of two factors in Iraq: the cultural divide between Sunni and Shia, on the one hand, and the jihadist insurgency during the American occupation, on the other. Both factors have converged in ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham).

ISIS is a radical jihadist Sunni group formed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi shortly after the US invasion of Iraq. The group swore allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2004 and were dubbed "al-Qaeda in Iraq" by the US. They quickly rose to become the chief umbrella organization of the Iraqi insurgency, and took the name "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI) in October 2006. ISI's power was centered in the Sunni western half of Iraq, with Baqubah as its capital. At present, it is incorrect to call ISIS “al-Qaeda” (as MSM do): ISIS has surpassed al-Qaeda and has absorbed many of al-Qaeda’s operatives.

In a July 2005 letter to al-Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Zarqawi outlined a four-stage plan for the establishment of an Islamic State: (1) expelling U.S. forces from Iraq, (2) establishing an Islamic authority (caliphate), (3) spreading the conflict to Iraq's secular neighbors, and (4) engaging in the Arab–Israeli conflict. At present, (1) has been achieved and (2), (3) and (4) partially achieved.

In 2006, al-Zarqawi was killed and leadership passed to the Egyptian militant Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Under al-Masri's leadership, ISI conducted indiscriminate attacks on Iraqi civilians, leading to a loss of popularity and the group’s near-destruction by US forces in 2010.

The group went underground, and emerged as the power behind al-Nusra in the Syrian civil war. The groups new leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was committed to the original goals set out by al-Zarqawi, and renamed the group ISIS to signify its involvement in both Syria and Iraq. Al-Baghdadi’s identity is unknown, and some sources allege that he is actually several people.

ISIS' power in Syria was centered in Raqqah, extending to Idlib and Aleppo. In 2013, al-Nusra broke with ISIS, leaving the leadership of the Syrian insurgency broken. ISIS, nevertheless, maintains strength in Syria; starting in April 2013, the group made rapid military gains in controlling large parts of Northern Syria. In May 2013, ISIS carried out a car bombing in Turkey that killed 51 people; in July 2013, it raided Abu Ghraib prison, freeing 500 jihadists.

During the latter half of 2013, Sunni resistance to the Shi'ite Maliki government in Iraq grew as claims of Shi'ite oppression of Sunnis spread. In Ramadi, a Sunni protest camp emerged, demanding elections and greater Sunni representation in parliament. The leading figure of this movement was the parliamentarian Ahmed al-Awlani. ISIS successfully infiltrated this group, spreading itself from its new base in Syria back into Iraq, along the Qaim-Ramadi-Fallujah corridor.

In late December, 2013, Maliki ordered the arrest of al-Awlani. ISIS took charge of the Sunni protest, demanding that al-Awlani be released. Maliki refused; in response, ISIS form a military alliance with the western Sunni tribes and launched a rapid military offensive. Within days, Fallujah had fallen and repeated ISF attacks were driven back. Between January-June 2014, ISIS consolidated its position in Anbar and Ninevah provinces in western Iraq and integrated their operations there with their Syrian organization. In June, ISIS launched a sudden offensive against an unprepared ISF, capturing many of their old strongholds (as ISI) in Mosul (Ninevah), Salahuddin province, Diyala province, and Anbar province. At present, ISIS is the richest and most powerful jihadist group on Earth, has extended its operations to Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya, and Palestine, and threatens Baghdad. In late June, ISIS leader Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi declared himself Khalifah or Caliph, the supreme religious and political figure of Islam as such, and declared the birth of his new Caliphate, the Islamic State, the first Caliphate to exist since the destruction of the Ottoman Empire after WWI. ISIS or IS is in the process of dismantling the remnants of non-orthodox political and cultural factors within the Islamic State, and establishing new institutions in accordance with its interpretation of Islam. Between July 2014 - January 2015, ISIS continued to make small gains in Syria, but lost ground in central Iraq. ISIS' movements during this period have been largely twofold: internally, they have consolidated the Islamic State; externally, they have expanded their international contacts and infiltrated the West.

The borders of the Middle East presently: [link to roamingchile.com]

Series of historical maps of the Middle East: [link to www.vox.com]

---

Daily Updates, December 2013 - July 2014: Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 5)

---

Encyclopedia

Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 3)

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Caliph of the Islamic State Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER

Abu Ghraib Prison Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 3)

Anbar Governorate Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Map: [link to en.wikipedia.org]

Baghdad Governorate Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 4) (Map: [link to en.wikipedia.org]

Diyala Governorate Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 4) (Map: [link to en.wikipedia.org]

Dulaim tribe Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER

Fallujah Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER

Fuad Masum, Iraqi President (2014-) Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 8)

Haditha Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER

Haider al-Abadi, Iraqi Prime Minister (2014-) Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 7)

ISIS/ISIL/IS/Islamic State (General) Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER

ISIS/ISIL (Territory as of August 13) [link to pbs.twimg.com (secure)]

ISIS/ISIL (Events, January 1 - June 11) Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 3)

ISIS/ISIL (Conquest of Mosul) Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 3)

Kurdistan Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 2)

Mosul Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER

Muqtada al-Sadr
Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 2)

Nineveh Governorate Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Map: [link to en.wikipedia.org]

Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister (-2014) Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 2)

Peshmerga Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 2)

Ramadi Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER

Sahwa/Sons of Iraq
Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 2)

Salahuddin Governorate Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 4) (Map: [link to en.wikipedia.org]

Taji Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 3)

Zulfiqar Brigade Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 3)

---

Misc Links:

ISIS governance in Syria: Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 6)

ISIS governance in Mosul: Thread: 'THE END IS HERE': ISIS/ISLAMIC STATE PRIMER (Page 6)

Map of the Sunni/Shia split in Iraq [link to thesinosaudiblog.files.wordpress.com]

Map of the governates [states] of Iraq [link to upload.wikimedia.org]

Letter announcing the formation of the Jaysh al-Izz wa al-Karama, the ISIS/tribal alliance in Anbar/Ninevah [link to www.facebook.com (secure)]
(AC 26782986 translates it as: "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Today, we the righteous people of the blessed land, announce the formation of a new jihad army, Jaysh al-Izz wa al-Karama [the Army of the Dignified al Izz, a Muslim scholar and judge in the 14th century] who will defend our homeland against the infidels of that criminal al Maliki. We will wage jihad over this blessed country until we have established an Ummah (Ination), not only in Anbar but in all of Iraq. God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest.")

Kurdish defensive line in northern Iraq 6/12
[link to twitter.com (secure)]

Map of ISIS in Baghdad [link to pbs.twimg.com (secure)]

ISIS funded by Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia [link to www.thedailybeast.com]

Map - Baghdad sectarian divide: [link to pbs.twimg.com (secure)]

Map - ISIS' advance to Baghdad: [link to pbs.twimg.com (secure)]

Map of military disposition around Baghdad: [link to www.syrianperspective.com]

Birth of the Islamic State: Statement: [link to myreader.toile-libre.org]

Map, 7/25: [link to news.bbcimg.co.uk]

Oil and Gas Pipelines: [link to www.energyeconomist.com]

Study Resources: [link to isisstudygroup.com] and [link to jihadology.net]

Map (oil): [link to i.imgur.com]

Map (Syria): [link to i.imgur.com]

Map (Iraq): [link to i.imgur.com]
Pictures (click to insert)
5ahidingiamwithranttomatowtf
bsflagIdol1hfbumpyodayeahsure
banana2burnitafros226rockonredface
pigchefabductwhateverpeacecool2tounge
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