Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (Arabic: الدولة الاسلامية في العراق والشام‎ ad-Dawla al-Islāmiyya fi al-'Irāq wa-sh-Shām) abbreviated as ISIS or sometimes ISIL with L for "Levant" (acronym in Arabic: داعش‎, Da'āsh) is an al-Qaeda linked group fighting in both Syria and Iraq and pushing for a unified Islamist state spanning both nations. ISIS joins previous al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra as representatives of the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi tradition in the region, but in a more confrontational and extreme way that more often leads them to attack fellow opposition fighters as well as government, Kurdish, and other forces.

The group is infamous for their slick media productions in print and video aimed in Western languages at a Western audience.

On June 29, 2014, weeks after it conquered large parts of north-western Iraq including Mosul, the organization issued a declaration changing their name to "Islamic State", pronouncing the real life existence of that state in tradition of the caliphate and declaring their leader al-Bagdhadi from now on to be Caliph Ibrahim whom all Muslims must swear allegiance to. Some Islamist groups in Africa and elsewhere have since accepted the "Caliph" while others denied his legitimacy.

Some of the adventures that followed are covered in other articles found in the category about the group.

Ideology

 * On the Origin of the ‘Name’ DAESH, Pieter Van Ostaeyen, Feb 19, 2014
 * Is ISIL really 'Sunni'? Not at all, Kevin Barrett, Jun 17, 2014
 * Profiling the Islamic State, Paper by Charles Lister for Brookings Institution Doha Center, Qatar, December 1, 2014
 * What ISIS Really Wants, Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, February 15, 2015
 * The ISIS Study Group is a bunch of retired US military people aiming to "help educate the American people on the threat posed by ISIS"

Origins / Backing
"The official Kuwait News Agency said police arrested a Lebanese citizen described as the ringleader named Osama Khayat, who admitted to helping IS recruit fighters and raise money that was sent to IS-related bank accounts in Turkey. The Interior Ministry said Khayat also admitted to closing weapons deals in Ukraine and using Turkey as a route to send weapons to IS fighters in Syria, where the group controls territory."
 * British fighters in Syria being taught jihadism: defector, AFP, Jan. 19, 2014
 * Research Paper: ISIS-Turkey Links, David L. Phillips, Columbia University, November 2014
 * ISIS leader: "If there was no American prison in Iraq, there would be no ISIS" Vox via Yahoo News, December 12, 2014 (cites Chulov, the Guardian - original link would be good)
 * Officials: Islamic State arose from US support for al-Qaeda in Iraq, Nafeez Ahmed, Insurge Intelligence, August 13, 2015
 * ISIS, financing and developing - Abu Mohammed,  Raqqa is being slaughtered silently, November 15, 2015
 * NATO is harbouring the Islamic State, Nafeez Ahmed, Insurge Intelligence, November 20, 2015
 * Kuwait disrupts extremist cell supporting the Islamic State, Hussain Al-Qatari, AP, Nov. 19.

Actions

 * Jihadist rebels in full control of northern Iraq province, Al Akhbar, Jun 10, 2014
 * Islamic State's Homs offensive endangers Syria's energy supply, As Safir translated by Al Monitor, July 23, 2014
 * ISIS consolidates, Patrick Cockburn, London Review of Books, August 1, 2014
 * Iraqi forces take back Tikrit from ISIS, official says, CNN, 31.3.15
 * IS militants 'enter Yarmouk refugee camp' in Syrian capital, BBC, 1.4.15
 * The Fate of 23 Hostages in Syria, NY Times, Oct. 25, 2014
 * At the edge of hell: The mad world of the borderlands between ISIL and Turkey, Daniil Turovsky, November 4, 2015
 * The Middle East Wars: Islamic State SITREP - John Rambo, The Saker, November 11, 2015