ISIS: Group Report
Since its formation in 2013, ISIS has worked to sustain a self-declared caliphate in eastern Syria and western Iraq, and has begun to establish satellite operations in nine countries.
Since its formation in 2013, ISIS has worked to sustain a self-declared caliphate in eastern Syria and western Iraq. Ultimately, it seeks to unite the world under a single caliphate and establish governance over all Muslims. Despite its territorial losses over the years, ISIS maintains a strong global presence.The group has recruited up to 33,000 fighters from around the world, and has lured significant numbers through online propaganda, including videos and magazines produced in English, French, German, and a variety of other languages.
Border Chief, Immigration and Logistics Committee, Leader of operations outside of Iraq and Syria
Former spokesman, emir of ISIS in Syria, and head of ISIS’s Emni unit - deceased
Former military commander; former emir of Latakia province, Syria; former governor of ISIS’s Anbar Province in Iraq - deceased
Since its formation in 2013, ISIS has worked to sustain a self-declared caliphate in eastern Syria and western Iraq, and has begun to establish satellite operations in nine countries.
ISIS exploits pre-existing religious and social biases against gay people in order to justify their persecution, which has inspired targeted extremist attacks such as the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016.
This report explores the ideological justifications for ISIS’s violent campaign to target—and ultimately eliminate—other religious communities.
Women within ISIS-held territory in Iraq and Syria are denied basic human rights, including freedom of belief, freedom from slavery, freedom of equal protection of the law, freedom of movement, and freedom to consensual marriage.
U.S.-based companies continue to respond to terrorist recruitment and incitement on a case-by-case basis if at all, actions that do little to prevent systemic abuse of their social media and messaging platforms.
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
In Their Own Words:
We reiterate once again that the brigades will directly target US bases across the region in case the US enemy commits a folly and decides to strike our resistance fighters and their camps [in Iraq].
Mar. 2023Get the latest news on extremism and counter-extremism delivered to your inbox.
I am terribly sad. Throughout my professional and personal life, whenever I was unsure of what to say or think, my friend, the Senator, was always there. He had a unique gift for finding the right words to match any feeling or emotion, often with humor, a smile, and laughter. Now, as I write this without his guidance and kind wisdom, I feel his absence deeply. Having the Senator by my side was one of life's greatest gifts to me, and I know I'm not alone in feeling profoundly touched by him. That was the Senator's great gift—he touched and guided so many of us, either personally or through his example. --Ambassador Mark D. Wallace