The Group That Calls Itself a State: Understanding the Evolution and Challenges of the Islamic State

Abstract : The Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) has a history of studying insurgent and terrorist organizations operating out of Iraq. This report, which examines the rise, activities, and weaknesses of the group that calls itself the Islamic State (IS), is a continuation of that effort. Leveraging unique data sources, including the group s own material from captured documents as well as online postings, this report explores the IS as a multi-faceted organization that engages in a wide range of activities, has suffered setbacks, has undergone adaptations, and continues to exhibit weaknesses. IS s Evolution and Relationship with al-Qa ida In an effort to understand how the IS became what it is today, this report begins by examining the origins of the group in the late 1990s in Afghanistan. This report finds that the evolution of the IS is best understood as an outcome of both design and accidents. It is an outcome of design because the group s territorial gains and governance, according to what it believes to be Islamic teachings, were part of the vision of its founder, Abu Mus ab al-Zarqawi, since at least 1999. But, the IS is also an outcome of accidents that allowed the group to exploit the militant landscape in Syria as well as the politics of sectarianism that adversely affected Iraq s Arab Sunnis. The design and accidents that allowed the IS to achieve its current status also placed it in direct conflict with the most prominent global jihadi organization of recent memory: al-Qa ida (AQ). For while AQ considered itself as an anti-establishment global force of jihadis without borders, al-Zarqawi s vision for his organization (the predecessor of the IS) was one of building an establishment, a vision that his successors are seeking to translate into a reality.