ISIS: An Introduction and Guide to the Islamic State

Providing up-to-date information for general readers as well as those well-informed about the Islamic State, this book offers an essential understanding of the rise of ISIS and its current influence in the Middle East as well as worldwide. ISIS—also referred to as ISIL, the Islamic State, or Daesh—began to assert its power and gain recognition for its militant and terroristic activities in April 2013. After the coordinated attacks in Paris on November 13th, 2015, ISIS has captured the full attention of observers in the West. This accessible book explains what ISIS is, what the group's goals are, what their members believe, and why their ranks are growing. Readers will gain an understanding of how ISIS is a unique group—one seeking to be the army of the righteous fighting to defeat the unbelievers and usher in the end of days—but that the extremist views of ISIS are an expression of a growing frustration with life in the Middle East and elsewhere shared by a larger community of non-state and post-state actors. The book provides an introduction that documents the origins of ISIS within the larger Al Qaeda organization during the Iraq War. The following chapters discuss the origins, development, and territorial expansion of ISIS in Syria and Iraq and examine the ideological motivations behind the emergence of ISIS, thereby enabling a nuanced understanding of the importance of ISIS in contemporary history. Other entries discuss individuals, events, and organizations that put ISIS in historical context in terms of contemporary events since the Iraq War into the present and explain the group's position within the complex conflict currently boiling in the Middle East.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction: The Significance of ISIS What's in a Name?: IS, ISIS, ISIL, Da'ash What Is ISIS? Leaders of ISIS Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Abu Ayyub al-Masri Abu Abdullah al-Rashid al-Baghdadi Abu Bakr al-Quraishi al-Baghdadi The History and Operations of ISIS: Iraq to Syria to Iraq Again Phase One: Operating in al-Qaeda's Shadow Phase Two: A State Is Declared Phase Three: Arab Spring Phase Four: Building the State Phase Five: Declaring the State Phase Six: Defending the State Ideas behind ISIS Management of Savagery: Violence as a Tool Salafist Ideology Religious End-of-Days Interpretations Caliphate Slavery Idolatry Enemies of ISIS U.S.-Led Coalition (Part of Operation Inherent Resolve) Syrian Regime Syrian Opposition Iraqi Regime Popular Mobilization Forces Tribes Kurdish Resistance Iran The Attraction of ISIS Recruiting Women in ISIS Financing ISIS Allegiance to ISIS: The Loyal Following Conservative Sunni Muslims Former Ba'athists and Former Iraqi Regime Members Sunni Nationalists Salafi-Jihadis Foreign Fighters Foreign Supporters Allies and Franchises ISIS and the Media Twitter Web Sites Video Magazine—Dabiq Taking Credit Violence for Media's Sake Life in the Islamic State Is ISIS a State? Reference Entries Abbasid Caliphate al-Amiri, Hadi al-Assad, Bashar Hafez al-Baghdadi, Abu Abdullah al-Rashid al-Baghdadi, Abu Bakr al-Maqdisi, Abu Muhammad al-Masri, Abu Ayyub al-Qaeda al-Sham (Levant) al-Zarqawi, Abu Musab al-Zawahiri, Ayman Alawi (Alawite[s]) Amir al-Mu'minin (Prince of the Faithful) Arab Arab Spring Baghdad, Iraq Bay'ah (Oath of Allegiance) Bayji, Battle of bin Laden, Osama Boko Haram Caliph Caliph, Rashidun Caliphate CENTCOM Crusades Dabiq, Battle of Dabiq Magazine Dajjal Deir al-Zour, Battle of Fallujah, Iraq Hadith Hijrah Hezbollah Islam Islam, Five Pillars Islamic Conquests (Seventh Century) Israel Jabhat al-Nusra Jihad Kharajites or Khawarij Kobane, Battle of Mahdi Mosul, Iraq Nasheed Omar, Mohammed Operation Desert Storm Operation Inherent Resolve Operation Iraqi Freedom Ottoman Empire Palmyra, Syria Quran Quraysh Ramadi, Battle of Raqqa, Syria Safavid Empire Sahwa (Sunni Uprising) Salafist Sharia Shia Soleimani, Qasem Sunni or ahl al-sunna The Surge Sykes-Picot Agreement Tikrit, Battle of Umayyad Caliphate Ummah Wahhabi Wilayah Yazidi Appendix: Obama Administration Strategy Report, March 24, 2016 Chronology Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Brian L. Steed is assistant professor of military history at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and a U.S. Army Middle East foreign area officer.

Review :
This work provides a nuanced view on a complex subject, showing empathy for the organization, its objectives, and its members. ISIS: An Introduction and Guide to the Islamic State delivers precisely what the title suggests—a well-organized primer that escorts readers through the complex task of understanding a 'state' very different from their own. . . . Brian Steed masterfully distills this information into a 'so what' reference guide for anyone wanting to make sense of the conflict or understand the salafi-jihadist narrative. . . . [T]he author's unique contribution to the field is his ability to synthesize key ideas and make them accessible to ordinary readers. ISIS: An Introduction and Guide to the Islamic State is a 'one-stop' reference guide suitable for both commanders and those wanting to make sense of the nightly news. It would be an excellent addition to any battalion or squadron library.