2004, in response to the American invasion of Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi establishes
al Qaeda in Iraq, calling for all holy Muslim warriors to resist the foreign invaders.
The impact is immediate, as veteran al Qaeda operatives begin to train raw recruits from
all across the world who flood into Iraq and Afghanistan via neighboring nations.
The US responds with a massive manhunt for al Zarqawi and his senior lieutenants, eliminating
a number of them over the coming months.
June 7th, 2006, closely monitored by US special forces acting on intelligence tips from Jordanian
and Iraqi sources, Zarqawi is observed entering a remote farmhouse for a meeting with several
of his lieutenants.
Seconds later two 500 pound bombs smash into the building.
Zarqawi is observed crawling out of the wreckage, severely wounded.
US troops arrive in time to load Zarqawi on a stretcher and provide first aid, but he
dies an hour later from injuries
The strike slows al Qaeda down briefly, and four months later on October 15th, the Islamic
State in Iraq is established.
Many al Qaeda fighters join under the banner of ISI.
Early the next year a massive surge in US combat troops leads to some of the largest
post-invasion battles of the campaign, and ISI suffers severe setbacks.
One year later, ISI has lost nearly 75% of its members, and the flow of foreign fighters
into Iraq at last slows to a trickle.
On the ropes, in 2009 ISI receives an unexpected boost when Iraq's Prime Minister begins to
target Sunni leadership in an attempt to consolidate political power.
Many Sunnis react by allying themselves with various factions opposing Maliki's government,
with ISI taking the forefront in the fight against Maliki and his American allies.
Seizing the initiative, ISI launches a deadly suicide bombing campaign across Iraq- repeatedly
targeting Baghdad markets and killing hundreds.
The attacks net ISI many fresh recruits, eager to overthrow a prime minister now seen as
a 'Saddam in the making'.
The US continues a global offensive against al Qaeda, crippling its ability to conduct
terror operations in Iraq and South East Asia.
Many warn however that al Qaeda is simply being absorbed into ISI, and that the US's
vengeful focus on the terror group responsible for the 9/11 attacks makes for good headlines,
but is ignoring the rising threat of other terror groups such as ISI.
In April of 2010, a re-focused US military conducts a joint raid with Iraqi security
forces to arrest or eliminate Abu Omgar al-Qurashi al-Baghdadi, the current leader of ISI.
Friendly forces surround a safe house and storm the complex, killing al-Baghdadi, his
son, and ISI's Minister of War Abu Ayyub al-Masri.
The arrest of 16 fighters and the seizure of a treasure trove of documents and computers
is an intelligence goldmine for US and Iraqi forces.
(use photo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Omar_al-Baghdadi#/media/File:Abu_Omar_al-Baghdadi.jpg)
Shortly after the raid, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi is named successor and assumes command of
ISI.
With the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Baghdadi senses a golden opportunity
and dispatches operatives to Syria in order to raise and train an army with the purpose
of overthrowing the Syrian regime and claiming the country as an independent Islamic state.
The Al-Nusra front is established and begins to campaign against both government forces
and pro-democracy rebels.
The US responds to the Syrian civil war with support for the pro-democracy rebels.
However, intelligence operatives warn that it is very difficult to ascertain which anti-government
rebel groups are friendly to the US and which are friendly to Baghdadi's Nusra front.
In a rush to equip the fledgling rebel movement, many US arms accidentally end up in the hands
of ISI operatives.
July 2012 marks a year of a reinvigorated ISI campaign in Iraq.
With the Syrian civil war acting as a magnet for foreign fighters, many are recruited and
redirected into Iraq.
ISI begins a year-long campaign of freeing former al Qaeda fighters now imprisoned across
the country, The campaign culminates with a raid on the infamous Abu Ghraib prison and
the freeing of 500 al Qaeda fighters, swelling ISI's ranks.
Simultaneously, Baghdadi moves from Iraq to Syria, announcing the former merger of the
Nusra Front and Islamic State in Iraq into the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
A small number of die-hard al Qaeda loyalists break off from the fledgling ISIS, but ISIS
becomes powerful enough to open up several new fronts in the Syrian civil war.
In Iraq, ISIS's 'Breaking the Walls' campaign to free former al Qaeda fighters culminates
with attacks on Shi'a communities in a bid to further drive sectarian violence and keep
the government and US forces off balance.
ISIS fighters now begin a campaign of terror against members of Iraqi's Security Forces,
targeting their homes and families, driving many to abandon their posts.
ISIS firmly controls several northern and eastern provinces of Iraq, and wide swathes
of Syrian territory as well.
In December of 2013, ISIS takes Fallujah, the site of two of the US's largest battles
against al Qaeda and its supporters in 2003 and 2004.
One month later, ISIS brings in the new year by successfully fighting off Syrian forces
and seizing Raqqa, proclaiming it the capital of ISIS's new emirate.
ISIS now controls vast swathes of eastern Syria, as well as north and east Iraq.
A few weeks later, al Qaeda remnants officially break ties with ISIS, seeing their two separate
goals as irreconcilable.
ISIS wishes to establish a fundamentalist Islamic caliphate, while al Qaeda is still
driven to attack the United States and its allies.
ISIS offensives in Iraq finally see the group take Mosul, giving them control over virtually
all of northern Iraq and securing vital supply lines.
ISIS fighters take Badush prison, just northwest of Mosul, and kill nearly 700 Shi'a prisoners.
Two days after ISIS' victory in Mosul, Iran security forces are deployed into Iraq to
assist Iraqi forces in their campaign against ISIS.
Despite being publicly at odds with each other, back channel attempts are made for cooperation
between Iran and the US on tackling ISIS, but the efforts lead nowhere.
Iranian forces aid Iraqi forces in the recapture of Tikrit, further empowering Iran's influence
over Iraq.
In late June of 2014, ISIS secures Syria's Deir Ezzor province, giving them free reign
to extend badly needed supply lines through Syria and into ISIS territory in Iraq.
Eight days later, ISIS rebrands itself as the Islamic State, and declares the establishment
of a fundamentalist caliphate extending from Syria into Iraq.
Under pressure from the Iraqi government for a month, the US begins airstrikes against
ISIS on August 7th.
Without follow-on ground forces however the air strikes are largely unsuccessful at slowing
down ISIS's rapid spread.
By the end of August, ISIS now controls the entire Syrian province of Raqqa.
The US responds a month later by extending air strikes into Syria, warning Syrian government
forces not to interfere with US air operations.
The presence of Russian forces backing the Syrian government complicates the US air war
against ISIS.
In November, ISIS leaders meet with rival jihadist group rivals, the Jabbhat al Nusra.
Despite an attempt to merge the two forces, no such merger occurs- however closer cooperation
between the two groups is established.
January 26th, 2015- after a four month battle, Kurdish forces with the aid of US and coalition
air power and special forces drive out ISIS forces from the border town of Kobani.
Turkey remains as unhappy with the border town being in control of Kurdish forces as
it was with it being in control of ISIS.
In May, ISIS forces defeat Iraqi security forces in Ramadi, placing them less than fifty
miles from Baghdad.
The US responds with an increase in air strikes, but again, without follow-on ground forces
ISIS remains undeterred.
Still, the aggressive bombing campaign makes the prospect of pushing to Baghdad an incredibly
improbable one for ISIS fighters.
The next month, ISIS splinter groups in Yemen claim responsibility for a series of car bombings
in the capital.
Sensing an opportunity in Yemen similar to that in Syria, ISIS however meets difficulties
as both Iran and Saudi Arabia have strong stakes in the country.
On the same day as ISIS attacks on the Yemeni capital, Kurdish forces continue their successful
campaign to sweep ISIS off the Turkish border, pushing their fighters out of Tal Abyad.
Five days later they take the military base of Ain Issa.
In September, Russia begins an official air campaign against ISIS- but in reality is heavily
targeting US-backed rebels.
Despite setbacks along the Turkish border, ISIS influence expands into northwestern Syria
as the group takes six villages near Aleppo.
Days later, Iraqi forces successfully recapture the Baiji oil refinery, a massive source of
revenue for ISIS.
On October 22nd, a US special operations soldier is killed conducting a rescue mission of ISIS
hostages in northern Iraq.
It is the first US casualty in the fight against ISIS.
20 ISIS fighters are killed in the raid, with six more captured.
In November, Kurdish forces continue their campaign against ISIS by capturing Sinjar
in Iraq.
The capture threatens key ISIS supply lines into Syria.
With special forces on the ground en masse, the US kills ISIS finance minister Abu Saleh
on December 10th in an air strike.
The US campaign against ISIS' oil infrastructure is proving devastating for the finances of
the group.
Three weeks later, Iraqi forces re-take Ramadi with the aid of US air cover.
2016 begins with progress and a reversal for the anti-ISIS coalition.
Iraqi forces capture the town of Hit, destroying any hope for an ISIS assault on Baghdad.
However, ISIS recaptures several key points along the Turkish border from the Free Syrian
Army.
Desperate for oil revenues to fund its war, ISIS successfully takes the Shaer gas field
from the Syrian government.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, ISIS forces are on a steady retreat after a string of Iraqi victories.
Iraqi forces with support of US air power and special forces retake Rutbah and advance
towards Fallujah, which has become an ISIS stronghold.
Simultaneously, the US aids Kurdish forces in an assault on ISIS holdings in north Syria.
The group is caught between two pincers and slowly being squeezed to death.
In late June, after a fierce battle Iraq retakes Fallujah.
Two months later, Egypt kills the leader of the Islamic State in the Sinai Peninsula.
From Libya to Iraq, ISIS forces are slowly being squeezed to death as the coalition targets
their financial sectors and recruitment networks.
From 2016 to 2019, ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria are slowly pushed out of strongholds
they have held for years.
By spring of 2019, ISIS is no longer considered capable of launching military operations,
though many members of the group have gone underground to perpetuate a war of terror
across the Middle East.
In 2020 ISIS efforts to recruit and train in Africa meet with mixed success, but the
group launches a violent offensive of terror across many western African nations.
With fresh recruits and the fallout from a global pandemic, ISIS remains poised for a
comeback.
Now go watch Is It Safe To Live In Syria, or click this other video instead!