By 2014 the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had become the biggest terror threat the world faced. The group was formed when a group of al-Qaeda terrorist decided to create their own branch, whose goal is to create a strict Islamic state that rules the Middle East. The group is made up of fundamentalist Sunni Muslims and foreign jihadists ("Soldier aginst non-belivers."). ISIS is believed to be backed by some 30,000 combat ready troops, 10% of which are thought to be from the west. Part of ISIS's success comes from their ability to recruit young people, many of whom come from the United States. These American recruits can be a major asset to ISIS because of their easy access in and out of America. The group was founded by a former al-Qaeda operative who goes by the alias Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who originally founded ISIS to act as a wing of al-Qaeda. However al-Qaeda has since denounced ISIS for their increasingly violent and extremist viewpoints, some of which even target other Muslims. Today, in 2015, ISIS is still one of the world's largest threats. One of the ways the group has gained the most attention is by executing westerners. Since 2014 the group has kidnapped and executed at least six different westerners, four of whom were United States citizens. The group often executes their victims in public or posts videos of the execution on the internet. The group has also carried out several larger plots. One plot targeted a french magazine called Charlie Hebdo, who had criticized ISIS in the past. The attack left twelve dead, and all of Europe on high alert. It is unknown what ISIS will do next, but they are only expected to grow, and their plots are only expected to worsen. The United States along with several other countries are currently trying to combat ISIS using airstrikes and other Military strategies.
Map Made By ISISThis map, which was apparently made by ISIS, made news recently when it was published on several jihadist website. According to ISIS that countries which have been colored in black are countries that ISIS plans on annexing in the near future.
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Primary SourceThese newspaper and magazine covers were all printed between 2014-2015 as a result of the many headlines ISIS made.
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HOW The Rise of ISIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE WAR ON TERROR
ISIS has made a major impact on how we view the war on terror today. They are arguably the most extreme terrorist organization on the planet, ae world and currently one of the biggest threats that the world faces in 2015. There extreme viewpoints and graphic killing have even made other terrorist groups condemn and denounce their teachings. As of mid 2015, ISIS is still as strong as ever, and whether or not they will carry out an even bigger plot is till unknow. All we can do is hope that we as westerners stop them before they claim more innocent lives.