The Islamic State is a terror group that in just a few short years has overshadowed Al-Qaeda and become a major threat to the world.
How did it happen?
The Islamic State emerged from Al-Qaeda’s branch in Iraq, which had fought America for years after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. AQI, as it is called, was all but defeated when the United States left Iraq in 2011. But the withdrawal gave new life to AQI. Sunnis were dissatisfied with the Shiite-dominated government in Iraq and viewed the Sunni-backed AQI as a buffer against Shiites.
Meanwhile, remnants of the group limped over to Syria, where a raging civil war gave the group fighting experience.
In 2013, it publicly broke from Al-Qaeda in Syria, naming itself the Islamic State in Syria and the Levant, or ISIL. It continued to grow in size and stature, carving out territory in the increasingly chaotic Syrian civil war. – READ MORE
