[Narrator]: They are the most feared and powerful terrorist organization in the world.
Welcome to WatchMojo News, the weekly series where we break down news stories that might be on your radar.
In this instalment, we're counting down ten crucial facts you should know about ISIS.
While the group is commonly referred to as ISIS or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,
there are multiple variations of the acronym.
Originally the Iraqi syndicate of Iraq and the Levant,
this jihadist organization emerged following the 2003 U.S. invasion as the Iraqi syndicate of al-Qaeda.
Weakened by the American surge and with backlash from moderate Sunni leaders,
many AQI members joined forces with al-Qaeda in Syria, fighting against the al-Assad regime.
Differences in military strategy as well as their fundamental goals created tensions between the two factions,
and by early 2014 al-Qaeda had publicly disavowed the organization.
Exploiting ancient tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims within the Middle East,
the Islamic State was able to bolster support from Sunni Muslims disillusioned by the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s overtly sectarian policies in Iraq.
Likewise, in Syria, the ongoing civil war created a power vacuum that IS was able to fill,
taking over territory in the northwestern part of the country and stretching into Iraq.
These jihadists have always been steadfast in their objective:
to create a Sunni Muslim state, which adheres to a fundamentalist interpretation of Sharia Law.
Originally called the Islamic State of Sham or Levant,
this group’s ambitions have moved beyond northern Iraq and Syria,
with the ultimate goal of establishing a pan-Arab caliphate.
That means they hope to build an Islamic state headed by a caliph, or an Imam chosen by God,
which is in opposition to the beliefs of Muslims who think their leader should be democratically elected.
Born Awwad Ibrahim al Badri-al-Sammari,
little is known about this cleric-turned-terrorist leader, now known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Part of the Iraqi insurgency, Baghdadi was arrested in 2006 and held at Camp Bucca, an American prison in Iraq.
Baghdadi joined al-Qaeda following his release.
Now, he is the most wanted and feared terrorist in the world, with a $10-million bounty on his head.
The Islamic State is one of the best-funded terrorist organizations operating today.
With private financiers allegedly coming from Qatar, Yemen and Saudi Arabia,
the Islamic State also controls several oil fields,
operates complex extortion schemes throughout its territory,
and heavily taxes the people living under its rule.
This has made the Islamic State an estimated near-$2-billion operation!
Though all terrorist groups are violent, the Islamic State stands out when it comes to it gruesome and bloody acts:
beheadings, crucifixions and reports of systematic rapes are par for the course.
The public beheading of British, American and French journalists, as well as citizens, has struck fear worldwide,
instigating a public outcry for more direct military measures against the organization.
Several Islamic State videos, featuring fighters with clearly western accents,
have raised questions about the organization’s international recruitment strategy.
According to various government agencies, the IS has several thousand foreign fighters.
This well-funded operation has put much of its time and money into an extensive PR campaign.
With the release of a slickly edited supposed documentary,
and a heavy presence on various social media outlets, the Islamic State is a 21st-century terrorist organization.
[Person]: We will raise the banner of "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammed is His Messenger."
[Narrator]: The systematic cultivation of future jihadists has begun,
as propaganda featuring militants handing out ice cream or having carnivals has circulated.
Contradictory reports have emerged,
claiming that children are either being coerced into joining or are joining of their own volition.
According to specialists in jihadist propaganda, these children are not placed in primary roles
but viewed as long-term assets who will have years to mature into deadly militant soldiers.
[UK Prime Minnister]: We need to make sure we're doing everything we can, as I said, to keep our country safe.
[Narrator]: As international pressure mounts against the Islamic State,
IS leaders have called upon supporters abroad to wage war against the West.
A recent decree from the group’s spokesman, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani,
called for the killing of American, European, Canadian and Australian infidels.
This comes on the heels of news that Australian officials thwarted a terrorist beheading plot,
arresting fifteen men in Brisbane and Sydney.
In August 2014, an American-led coalition initiated airstrikes in key IS territory.
But the clear goal of annihilating IS comes with a number of murky complications:
attacks on IS in Syria may prove beneficial to the al-Assad regime, something the Americans wish to avoid.
Fears of escalation from airstrikes to “boots on the ground” have many concerned that this might be the beginning of another long, bloody and expensive war.
Did these facts surprise you?
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