ISIS World!

Anyone who abandoned his loyalty to the media and started promoting ISIS focuses on what's coming next, so they'll be a couple of steps behind.

After America ousted Saddam from Iraq, they targeted all his followers, like the Sunni Muslims (half the population), replacing them with Shiites and Kurds in power. The ruling Baath Party, which comprised senior leaders of the Iraqi army, was also reshaped. The same army that was once one of the strongest in the Arab world, rumored to be the mightiest at the time.

Here, Al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, called on all countries to join his cause. They sent him the first recruit, named Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was infamous for beheading Americans, Shiites, and anyone aiding the US invasion of Iraq. He began coordinating with tribes to fight Americans, forming a large group of killers called the "Base of Jihad in Mesopotamia." But due to his atrocities, people distanced themselves, and America eventually captured him.

Then came another, a former officer in the Iraqi army named Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. With more people around him, he started carrying out military operations that exhausted Americans and their allies, but eventually, America captured him and his deputy by air.

Enter Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the current leader of ISIS, who, for those who don't know, earned a Ph.D. in Quranic sciences and jurisprudence from Baghdad. He received military and strategic training at the highest level, either from Al-Qaeda or Saddam's army itself. America also collaborated with him, imprisoning him for two years in a facility called Bucca in Iraq. This was Obama's attempt to clean up the mess left by Bush's Abu Ghraib scandal. Baghdadi made friends with influential figures opposing American presence in Iraq, such as senior army and police personnel, businessmen, and jihadists, including Colonel Haji Bakr, the strategist of ISIS. These connections allowed him to emerge as a de facto leader of a country.

Baghdadi left prison and rallied his supporters, telling them to dig in and wait for his signal. He had sweet meetings with Sunni tribal leaders in Iraq, gathered key Baath Party figures, high-ranking military officials from Saddam's army, and reached out to Al-Qaeda for support. Then he said, "Let's get down to business."

His work on the ground resembled that of a state invading other countries. He would enter a city, seize control of its command centers and defenses until its official surrender, making Baghdadi the de facto ruler. People didn't ask about weapons because they were cheaper than food back then. It was province after province in Iraq, and some tribes cheered for him, welcoming him as liberators to rid them of the corruption of the Iraqi government.

His reputation grew, acquiring cities and provinces with their resources, banks, and people. He decided to make it a real state, naming it the "Islamic State of Iraq." The existing Iraqi government cried for American help, as usual, but Obama, wary of repeating Bush's mistakes, was complacent about ISIS and Baghdadi.

Then Baghdadi invited his buddy Abu Muhammad al-Julani and said, "Hey, how about you do what I did here in Iraq but in Syria?" Julani obeyed, bringing along 6,000 well-trained fighters, and founded "Jabhat al-Nusra." Syria at the time was chaotic, with various factions fighting Assad's regime, including the Free Syrian Army. Assad saw in al-Nusra a solution to distract his enemies, so he ordered border guards and unit leaders to leave them alone, even covering them with airstrikes against other groups. Soon, they were fighting each other, weakening the Free Syrian Army, and allowing Assad to maintain control internationally against the expansion of al-Nusra and Hezbollah.

After a while, Baghdadi told Julani, "Enough with these petty games. Let's unite the Iraqi provinces I control with the Syrian provinces you control, and I'll be the oil to your flour. I'll be the ruler." Julani didn't like that and complained to Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda's leader. Zawahiri mediated a resolution, but Baghdadi refused to compromise. He released a lengthy statement declaring the necessity to fight anyone not under his banner, renaming his organization the "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria" (ISIS). Anyone mentioning "ISIS" in areas under their control would be punished with lashes because they didn't like it!

Baghdadi ventured into maritime territory and targeted all Syrian command centers, dealing with anyone on his path from Jabhat al-Nusra, the Free Syrian Army, or the Kurdish Peshmerga. In the blink of an eye, he dominated a land area in Iraq and Syria larger than the total area of either country, erasing the borders between them. Hence, he renamed his organization the "Islamic State" and declared himself the Caliph of Muslims in mid-2014, inviting anyone interested to join.

He amassed resources and funds, filling his coffers with oil from wells he seized (he even recruited petroleum engineers from Europe) and taking over banks in the captured cities. He displaced anyone opposed to his ideology, such as Christians and Yazidis, from their homes, businesses, and shops. He also kidnapped influential figures for ransom. Some reports suggest involvement in drug trafficking and human trafficking, though there's no solid evidence.

They cared little for propaganda, media, or publicity as long as Baghdadi and his followers were engaged. Whether committing crimes against their enemies or distributing aid to their supporters, they continued to attract attention, even though their online presence was continuously restricted. Baghdadi employed highly trained individuals in various fields to ensure efficiency. For example, the provincial leaders were former Iraqi military officers, some of whom held high ranks, remnants of the dissolved Iraqi army after Saddam. Remember that?

In terms of finance, top financiers from Saddam's government were involved, while media personnel were mostly foreigners previously employed by international companies. They had a global vision of reinstating the Islamic Caliphate, occasionally resorting to coercion and bribery. Despite the constant shutdowns of their online platforms, they remained resilient. Baghdadi generously compensated his fighters, surpassing the salaries of regular Arab armies, including the Qatari army.

Surprisingly, jihadist movements worldwide pledged allegiance to Baghdadi as the Caliph and recognized ISIS as the Islamic State. Notable examples include Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis in Egypt, Ansar al-Sharia in Libya, Al-Qaeda in Yemen, Al-Shabaab in Somalia, Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighboring countries, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen in West Africa, and elements of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, excluding Zawahiri's faction, among others.

Considering the territories they control, these groups collectively occupy an area equivalent to that of Egypt and Sudan combined. They come and go at will to and from ISIS headquarters in Iraq and Syria across uncontrolled borders.

The world began to recognize the threat of ISIS much later because they initially dismissed it as just another terrorist group. However, ISIS surpassed expectations both operationally and tactically, outmaneuvering all other terrorist movements, including Al-Qaeda. Some estimates put their fighter count at nearly 200,000, according to Kurdish sources. Additionally, they groom children for a brighter future in their ideology.

After suffering significant losses, America and its allies declared war on ISIS, conducting airstrikes for over a year. Russia joined the fight as Bashar al-Assad's regime neared collapse, and now France has also entered. Unfortunately, ISIS remains resilient, operating as both a state and a criminal organization. They adapt to airstrikes, utilizing guerrilla warfare tactics, knowing that conventional armies struggle against such tactics.

A few additional facts:

• ISIS includes extremists from all religious backgrounds, including Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
• They've displaced and terrorized families and tribes, with numbers approaching those displaced by Assad in Syria and America in Afghanistan.
• They disregard citizenship and human rights, prioritizing the approval of their absolute ruler and his supporters.
• They adopt terror tactics reminiscent of the Tatars and power imposition tactics similar to Israel, all to gain more without resistance.
• They currently fight against various forces, including the US and its allies, the Syrian regime, the Free Syrian Army, Jabhat al-Nusra, the Kurdish Peshmerga, the Iraqi army, the Iranian army, the Egyptian army, and the Saudi army, with varying strategies.
• Many still mistakenly perceive ISIS as mere mercenaries, failing to realize their advanced training and military expertise, as evidenced by their survival despite airstrikes.
• The information presented is neutral, backed by verified sources and testimonies, and spans over 300 pages, with most agreeing that defeating ISIS requires dismantling it from within and providing alternatives for its supporters, as its expansion threatens everyone.