ISIS in the News: Extensive Media Roundup (March-April 2015)

ISIS in the News: Extensive Media Roundup (March-April 2015)

ISIS in the News: Extensive Media Roundup (March-April 2015)

By : Basileus Zeno باسيليوس زينو

[Editorial Note: This is not a "Best of," only a roundup of significant pieces. See here for an introduction to this roundup series] 

English Articles       

ISIS Threatens Twitter Founder And Employees Over Blocked Accounts (1 March 2015) David Mack reports that ISIS supporters called on jihadis around the world "to kill Twitter employees because of the company’s frequent blocking of their social media accounts."

ISIS releases several captured Christians: activists (1 March 2015) "The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) released at least 19 Christians on Sunday who were among the more than 220 people the militants took captive in northeastern Syria last week, activists and a local leader said".

ISIS` Next Prize: Will Libya Join the Terrorist Group`s Caliphate? (2 March 2015) Geoffrey Howard writes about how ISIS (or groups affiliated with it) took advantage of the vacuum created by the deepening political crisis and collapse of state institutions in Libya. 

Tikrit ISIS Battle: Top Iranian Commander On Iraq Frontlines Of Crucial Offensive Against Islamic State (3 March 2015) Lora Moftah reports that the top Iranian commander Qassam Soleimani is helping to lead the offensive against ISIS in Tikrit. 

Syrian army and Kurdish forces fight ISIL on two fronts  (3 March 2015) Uncoordinated offensives against ISIL launch in al-Hassakeh, as regime forces and YPG secure villages from ISIL. 

ISIS loses more than 20 villages in Syria (3 March 2015) Kurdish and Assad forces take over 20 villages from ISIS in Syria. 

In Northern Syria, is the US running out of rebel allies? (4 March 2015) “Harakat Hazzm, a US-armed group vetted by the CIA for training, has fallen to an Al Qaeda affiliate that is targeting moderate rebels.” 

Insight - Syria`s Nusra Front may leave Qaeda to form new entity (4 March 2015) Syria’s Nusra Front seeks to branch away from al Qaeda in order to create a new entity with support from the Gulf states.

How Yarmouk refugee camp became the worst place in Syria (5 March 2015) Jonathan Steele writes about the ways in which Yarmouk, near the center of Damascus—which used to be a safe refugee camp for Palestinians—become, under siege, the worst place on earth. The camp is currently a prison for its remaining residents, who survive on little food and water, with no hope of escape. The Arabic summary of this article can be found here: الغارديان: مخيم اليرموك أسوأ الأماكن في سوريا

Rising Out of Chaos: The Islamic State in Libya (5 March 2015) Frederic Wehrey and Ala’ Alrababa’h on the spread and integration of jihadism in Syria and Libya, and how this gave rise to a new branch of the Islamic State.   

Meet the "Monuments Men" Risking Everything to Save Syria`s Ancient Treasures From ISIS (6 March 2015) Bryan Schatz writes about an underground network of activists secretly documenting the ransacking of Syria`s ancient treasures in ISIS-held areas. The article highlights the group achievements and the risks they face. 

The U.S. Needs to Rethink Its Anti-ISIS Approach in Syria (6 March 2015) Faysal Itani argues that "the coalition campaign has contributed to the near-collapse of nationalist forces in northern Syria who, despite their imperfections, were ISIS’s most effective rivals and competed with Jabhat al Nusra for leadership of the insurgency." 

Deaths Reported in Syria of Top Figures in Group Affiliated With Al Qaeda (6 March 2015) Ben Hubbard reports that four Nusra Front leaders, including Samir Hijazi, were killed in Syria, near the Turkish border, but that it remained unclear what had killed them.

Win or lose Tikrit, Isis can only be defeated in Iraq by the Sunni (7 March 2015) Hassan Hassan discusses the reason why the Tikrit offensive has the potential to intensify sectarian tensions and benefit ISIS.

Islamic State Militants Attack Christian Villages in Syria (7 March 2015) Maria Abi-Habib reports that violent clashes occurred on 8 March between ISIS and a mixture of Assyrian Christians and Kurdish fighters when ISIS launched a fresh offensive to overrun a string of Christian towns in northeastern Syria.

Air strike on Islamic State-run refinery in Syria kills 30: monitor (8 March 2015) US-led coalition air strike in Syria hits an oil refinery controlled by the Islamic State.

‘Raising tomorrow’s mujahideen’: the horrific world of Isis’s child soldiers (10 March 2015) Jessica Stern and JM Berger write about ISIS recruitment of children who have been filmed executing prisoners for Isis.

ISIS Syria-Iraq supply lines smashed: coalition (11 March 2015) According to this news article, US-led coalition forces fighting ISIS "have cut critical communication and supply lines used by the extremists between Syria and Iraq after a two-week operation."

War in Syria: how my life has changed (11 March 2015) Mona Mahmood shares the perspectives of six Syrians from across the divide, from rebel officers to regime supporters. 

Battered but Unbowed, ISIS Is Still on Offensive (13 March 2015) Though the Islamic State has been facing many military and financial pressures, the group remains expanding its ideological influence in the region.

US does not want to see Syrian regime `collapse`: CIA (14 March 2015) CIA Director John Brennan states that the U.S. fears chaotic collapse of Syria, and that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime would allow extremist takeover.

What`s distracting us from the Syrian conflict? (16 March 2015) Omar Imady writes about major events, such as ISIL, effectively distracted "all the major players, and observers from the daily killing, imprisonment, torture, homelessness and psychological trauma of the new generation of Syrians in refugee camps."

France says Assad talks would be `scandalous gift` to IS (16 March 2015) “French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Monday rejected any role for President Bashar al-Assad in Syrian peace talks, saying it would be a "scandalous gift" to the Islamic State group.”

Islamism in the IS age (17 March 2015) Marc Lynch writes about challenges that confront the academics who study Islamic State.

ISIS Urges Sympathizers to Kill U.S. Service Members It Identifies on Website (21 March 2015) Michael s. schmidt & Helene Cooper reports about recent threat to American military personnel imposed by ISIS, “the Islamic State has called on its members and sympathizers in the United States to kill 100 service members whose names, photos and purported addresses it posted on a website.”

Under ISIS, Life In Mosul Takes A Turn For The Bleak (21 March 2015) The push against ISIS is not making any progress in Mosul or Tikrit, but ISIS is losing support daily.

Syria has long been a country divided (23 March 2015) Stephen Starr on the amount of blood lost in Syria in the last four years, and why it is not surprising that the conflict lasted this long.

Islamic State recruits 400 children since January: Syria monitor (24 March 2015) The Islamic State has encouraged parents to send their children to be trained and recruited by the group. Children are easier to brainwash, and the Islamic State has had difficulty recruiting adults recently.

The Children of ISIS (25 March 2015) Janet Reitman follows the story of three American kids from the suburbs of Chicago who tried to join ISIS and questions if the Feds should treat them as terrorists.

Iraq Isn`t the Right Front A Syria-First Strategy to Fight ISIS (29 March 2015) Hassan Hassan comments on the battle for Tikrit against ISIS and argues that the real battlefield on which to fight ISIS is in Syria.

Iraq and Syria are `finishing schools` for foreign extremists, says UN report (1 April 2015) The number of fighters joining the Islamic State and al-Qaida increases according to UN report.

The Islamic State`s child soldiers (3 April 2015) Ash Gallagher reports that The Islamic State has been recruiting child soldiers in preparation for a new generation of extremist fighters. The Arabic version of this article can be found here: الجنود الأطفال في داعش

As-Salamiyah Coordination Committee: A Response to Suleiman Hraki (3 April 2015) Coordination Committee issues statement denouncing remarks by Coalition member Suleiman al-Hraki regarding the massacre committed by ISIS against civilians in al-Maboujah (Salamiyah). 

“Catastrophe” in Yarmouk as ISIS seizes camp (5 April 2015) Maureen Clare Murphy comments on the recent reports about ISIS controlling of large areas of Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp and the fears over the safety of the 18,000 civilians trapped there.  

ISIL’s Yarmouk offensive has profound implications (6 April 2015) Hassan Hassan on the strategic implications of the ISIS offensive in the Palestinian refugee camp in Yarmouk, and what this means for Syria’s civil war.

‘Beyond Inhumane’: Catastrophe in Yarmouk (7 April 2015) A brief outline of the history of Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, Syria and the current humanitarian crisis.

Twitter Says It Suspended 10,000 ISIS-Linked Accounts in One Day (9 April 2015) Rick Gladstone reports that the social media network’s violations department suspended approximately 10,000 ISIS-linked accounts on April 2 “for tweeting violent threats." 

Deir al-Zor Suffers Under Islamic State’s Harsh Rules on Aid (10 April 2015) Hussam al-Jaber reports about difficulties and indignities that people in Deir al-Zor suffer during the distribution of aid packages under the rule of ISIS.

Making sense of the Islamic State (10 April 2015) Forward This Week interviews Charles R. Lister, visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Center, who shines light on how the Islamic State came into being and how it can possibly be defeated.

Radicalized Western mothers lead children into Islamic State (13 April 2015) Brenda Stoter reports that many Western women have joined the Islamic State, often bringing their children along with them to Syria, where they train and go to school. The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
 أمّهات غربيّات متطرّفات يدفعن بأولادهنّ للانضمام إلى تنظيم الدولة الإسلاميّة

ISIS withdraws from Yarmouk camp, Nusra remains: residents (15 April 2015) ISIS fighters withdraw from Yarmouk, leaving Nusra as the main group inside the camp.

Russia hopes U.N. Syria talks will lead to united fight with IS (16 April 2015) Russian envoy to the United Nations, Alexey Borodavkin, said "latest U.N. efforts to resolve the Syria crisis could succeed this time and lead to a united front against Islamic State followed by a political transition."  

Al-Mabouja: Civilian Martyrs, or Shabeeha? (18 April 2015) Hasan Arfeh comments on Al-Mabouja village massacre that was committed by ISIS and the controversy around it. The Arabic version of this article can be found here: المبعوجة.. شهداء مدنيون أم شبيحة؟ 

Isis stalemate forces US into a cold assessment of Iraq government and other potential allies (19 April 2015) “Iraqi army failures quietly edge Washington towards support for Iranian-backed militias. Patrick Cockburn reports”

Six youths arrested in US for trying to travel to Syria to join Islamist militants (20 April 2015)  “Authorities said a handful of Minnesota residents have gone to Syria to fight with militants within the last year. At least one has died while fighting for the Islamic State group.”

Isis militants embrace `gay` men before `stoning them to death in public` in Syria (24 April 2015) Heather Saul writes about the newly released pictures by ISIS that "show two allegedly homosexual men being embraced by militants before they were brutally stoned to death in public."

Abductions in Syria cause widespread fear (27 April 2015) Massoud Hamed reports that "The Islamic State and the Kurdish People`s Protection Units have been carrying out kidnappings in Syria, both seemingly working toward the same goal: terrorizing those who do not support them." The Arabic version of this article can be found here: الحراك الثوريّ وعمليّات الخطف الممنهجة ضدّهم في سوريا

Iraq`s refugee crisis: 100,000 people displaced by fighting as Isis regains ground from Iraqi army in Anbar province (27 April 2015) Cathy Otten reports that "thousands more Iraqis have been forced to flee from the western province of Anbar since the beginning of April after their homes were destroyed in brutal Isis attacks"

ISIL seems to be losing appeal and here’s why (28 April 2015) The Islamic State is losing a degree of support to Syrian rebel coalition, according to Hassan Hassan.

Debate about ISIS 

Note: Graeme Wood’s article on ISIS in The Atlantic touched off a national debate about the insurgent group’s uses and abuses of Islam. In response to Wood’s article, William McCants, a fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy and director of the Project on US Relations with the Islamic World, organized a series of debates between scholars of ISIS and political Islam to think through some of the issues raised by Wood, giving him a chance to weigh in along the way. In each post, the authors debate the philosophical and policy challenges posed by the confluence of Islam and politics.

Experts Weigh In (part 1): Is quietist Salafism the antidote to ISIS? (13 March 2015)

Experts Weigh In (part 2): Is quietist Salafism the antidote to ISIS? (17 March 2015)

Experts Weigh In (part 3): Is quietist Salafism the antidote to ISIS? (19 March 2015)

Experts Weigh In (part 4): Is quietist Salafism the antidote to ISIS? (31 March 2015)

Experts Weigh In (part 5): Is quietist Salafism the alternative to ISIS? (1 April 2015) 

Experts Weigh In (part 6): Is quietist Salafism the antidote to ISIS? (1 April 2015)

Experts Weigh In (part 7): Is quietist Salafism the antidote to ISIS? (7 April 2015)

Experts Weigh In (part 8): Is quietist Salafism the antidote to ISIS? (8 April 2015)

Experts Weigh In (part 9): Is quietist Salafism the antidote to ISIS? (9 April 2015)

Experts Weigh In (part 10): Is quietist Salafism the antidote to ISIS? (27 April 2015)

Experts Weigh In (part 11): How does ISIS approach Islamic scripture? (24 March 2015)

Experts Weigh In (part 12): How does ISIS approach Islamic scripture? (26 March 2015)


Policy and Reports 

Here`s all of the area that ISIS controls (5 March 2015) Jessica Lewis McFate, Institute For The Study Of War, analyzes ISIS sanctuary map to account for ISIS’s losses and gains inside Iraq and Syria after the anti-ISIS operations.

The ideology of the Islamic State (March 2015) Cole Bunzel explores the ideology of the Islamic State in a new analysis paper. 

What ISIS Really Wants (March 2015) Graeme Wood answers, in this article, questions like where did ISIS come from, and what are its intentions? What is its strategy and how to stop it.

The ISIS Twitter census: Defining and describing the population of ISIS supporters on Twitter (March 2015) “Although much ink has been spilled on ISIS’s activity on Twitter, very basic questions about the group’s social media strategy remain unanswered. In a new analysis paper, J.M. Berger and Jonathon Morgan answer fundamental questions about how many Twitter users support ISIS, who and where they are, and how they participate in its highly organized online activities.”

The Islamic State is Losing, But No One Is Winning (13 March 2015) Aron Lund discusses the Islamic State and the obvious pressures they are facing. Despite that, he argues that the Islamic state will not stop or disappear, but rather, will remain on the offensive. 

ISIS and the sectarian conflict in the Middle East (15 March 2015) The radical jihadis of ISIS still control large areas of Iraq and Syria, despite the international campaign against them. But who are they really? This report was produced by the British parliamentary research services and the information was provided to Members of Parliament in support of their parliamentary duties 

Life under Isis: The everyday reality of living in the Islamic `Caliphate` with its 7th Century laws, very modern methods and merciless violence (15 March 2015) “Inside the `Islamic State` - part one: Patrick Cockburn today begins a groundbreaking week-long series of dispatches which will explore the creation of this so-called Islamic State, what it’s like to live under the jihadis’ rule, and what if anything the West can do about it. Today, he talks to people living in the ‘caliphate’ to find out how they regard Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s merciless but powerful new state and how it treats them” 

Life under Isis: Why I deserted the `Islamic State` rather than take part in executions, beheadings and rape - the story of a former jihadi (16 March 2015) “Inside the `Islamic State` - part two: Continuing his landmark series on life inside the Islamic State, Patrick Cockburn hears the story of a former Isis fighter who chose to desert rather than take part in the barbarity visited on the jihadis’ enemies”

ISIS Struggles With Infighting, Defections (18 March 2015) In this interview with CBC Radio The Current`s Marc Apollonio, Lina Khatib, heads the Carnegie Middle East Center, and Faysal Itani, a Middle East specialist with the Atlantic Council, discuss the revealing "signs of genuine disunity inside the ISIS ranks [that] would be something new, and a potentially important development for the countries locked in battle with the group."

Are Syrian Islamists moving to counterbalance Al-Qaeda? Will it last? (23 March 2015) Charles Lister analyzes the pragmatic relationships between Jabhat al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, and the Syrian armed opposition.

The State of the Islamic State (2 April 2015) Mona Alami discusses ISIS’s strategy and its rapid increase in the Middle East region. 

The hidden hand behind the Islamic State militants? Saddam Hussein’s (4 April 2015) Liz Sly on the similarities between ISIS’s ideology and Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party rule. They overlap in their “reliance on fear to secure the submission of the people under the group’s rule.” 

ISIS is the Product of Muslim Humiliation and the New Geopolitics of the Middle East (7 April 2015) Hooshang Amirahmadi analyzes the geopolitics of the Middle East and argues that “the contemporary Middle East is the product of these three geopolitical waves and the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) represents one of its ugliest humiliating consequences”.

ISIS: Is the Caliphate Cracking? (9 April 2015) There are signs of internal dissension within the self-proclaimed Islamic State. But even if it is in partial retreat, it is a likely threat in the Middle East—and to Western interests—for years to come. Maha Yahya, Rod Nordland, Christopher Gunness, Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, and Wayne White discuss these issues with TV/Radio Broadcast, KCRW’s To the Point. 

Isis: Inside the struggling Islamic State economy in Iraq and Syria (11 April 2015) Orlando Crowcroft on the method through which the Islamic State earns its revenue.

Report Finds Alarming Outflow Of Kosovars To Islamic State (15 April 2015) The Kosovar Center for Security Studies (KCSS) found in a new report that at least 232 Kosovo citizens are fighting alongside militants in Syria and Iraq, making Kosovo rank eighth overall (and first per capita) among the 22 Western states with citizens fighting in Syria and Iraq.

Iraq: ISIS Escapees Describe Systematic Rape/ Yezidi Survivors in Need of Urgent Care (15 April 2015) Human Rights Watch`s report shows that ISIS has carried out systematic rape and other sexual violence against Yezidi women and girls in northern Iraq. The Arabic version of this report can be found here:  
العراق ـ الهاربات من داعش تصفن عمليات اغتصاب ممنهجة

The Terror Strategist: Secret Files Reveal the Structure of Islamic State (18 April 2015) Spiegel has been given exclusive access to the papers of an Iraqi officer who planned Islamic State`s takeover in Syria. The papers portray an organization that, while seemingly driven by religious fanaticism, is actually coldly calculating. The Arabic version of this article can be found here: مترجم: خطة الإرهاب.. ملفات سرية تكشف بنية الدولة الإسلامية   

ISIS and Migrant Smugglers Exploit Lawless Libya (21 April 2015) "Speaking on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show, Carnegie’s Frederic Wehrey discussed important recent developments in Libya, including the capsized boat carrying immigrants from Libya to Italy and the killing of Ethiopian Christians in Libya by the self-proclaimed Islamic State."

Exclusive: Pentagon Map Hides ISIS Gains (22 April 2015) Tim Mak analyzes the Pentagon Map which Hides ISIS Gains,“[t]he Pentagon’s map assessing the so-called Islamic State’s strength has only two categories: territory held by ISIS currently, and territory lost by ISIS since coalition airstrikes began in August 2014. The category that would illustrate American setbacks—where ISIS has actually gained territory since the coalition effort began—is not included.”

ISIS Replace Injured Leader Baghdadi With Former Physics Teacher (22 April 2015) Jack Moore writes about the recent reports that claim "the terror group`s caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was seriously wounded in a U.S. coalition airstrike in western Iraq in March, leaving him with injuries which allegedly rendered him incapable of carrying out the day-to-day duties as caliph." 

Where the Islamic State Gets Its Weapons (27 April 2015) C. J. Chivers writes about the recent investigation by Conflict Armament Research in Syria, which led to the discovery of Chinese CQ, an M-16 knockoff that resembles its predecessor but has a starkly different arms-trafficking history.

ISIL’s Small Ball Warfare: An Effective Way to Get Back into a Ballgame. (29 April 2015) Craig Whiteside provides his deep insights into Christoph Reuter` recent report in Der Spiegel that chronicles the activities and personal papers of Haji Bakr, a high ranking member of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Whiteside analyzes the Iraqi context in which ISIL’s tactics have emerged.

Economy and Agriculture

TAKFIRINOMICS: How ISIS funds its caliphate  (2 March 2015) An excerpt from ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, by Hassan Hassan and Michael Weiss, how ISIS war economy actually works.

Regime and ISIS Agree to Share Electricity in Aleppo Countryside (17 March 2015) According to this article, an agreement has been reached between the Syrian regime and ISIS to share a power station with over half of the facility`s output going to ISIS-held areas of Aleppo.

Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media 

طبيبة سورية تهرب من تنظيم الدولة الإسلامية وتروي قصتها (March 1 2015) A Syrian physician tells her story of escaping the Syrian conflict and ISIS.

"The Management of Savagery" gives insight into ISIS` strategy (2 March 2015) “"The Management of Savagery", written by an al-Qaeda strategist was translated into English by Brookings Institution fellow Will McCants. The book gives insight into tactics being used by extremist groups.”

People & Power - Western Jihadis in Syria (4 March 2015) People & Power meets young Muslims who have abandoned the West to fight in Syria.

The Islamic State’s ideology & propaganda (11 March 2015) “On March 11, the Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World convened a panel of the papers’ authors and experts on the Islamic State’s propaganda to discuss what the group wants and how to counter it.”

لمحة داخل حياة المقاتلات الكرديات ضد "داعش"  (March 18, 2015) A collection of photos that shows the lives of female Kurdish fighters against ISIS. 

بالصور .. داعش يبدأ بانشاء نظام اتصالات لاسلكية في مناطق سيطرته (March 20, 2015) According to Anadolu Agency, ISIS began setting up wireless networks in the areas under their control near the Syrian-Turkish borders, as shown in the pictures. 

حصري وثائقي: "ثائرة من الرقة".. الشابة السورية التي تحدت تنظيم "الدولة الإسلامية" (March 21, 2015) This documentary tells the story of Haya Ali who challenged ISIS by going back to her home city Raqqa between 2013 and 2014 in order to document the daily life of people there under the rule of ISIS.

Afghanistan`s changing of the guard: ISIS recruits in Taliban territory (6 April 2015) Nick Paton Walsh reports that a group of fighters in Afghanistan agreed to be filmed by a CNN cameraman parading their ISIS flags in a valley not far to the south of Kabul. 

عمّ يتساءلون: حُكُم تدمير الآثار التاريخية والتماثيل (April 6, 2015) Radio Al-Kul hosts a religious debate explaining Islamic provisions in regard to Daesh (ISIS) actions that aim at destroying monuments and statues. 

Assad and the Palestinians: from Tal al-Zaatar to Yarmouk (7 April 2015) Ibrahim Halawi argues that the emergence of ISIS inside Yarmouk camp has led to simplistic and dangerous impressions that isolate the Palestinians in the camp from the history and geography of the Syrian Uprising.

ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror (9 April 2015) On Wednesday, April 8th, IPI hosted a Distinguished Author Series event, featuring Michael Weiss, co-author with Hassan Hassan of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror.

ISIS release latest propaganda video showing jihadists threatening another 9/11 and to `burn America` (12 April 2015) ISIS militants have released a sickening new video warning America of a new 9/11-style attack. The full 11-minute video can be found here: We Will Burn America IslamicState ISIS IS

Meeting IS group prisoners captured by Kurdish forces (16 April 2015) France 24’s Middle East Matters video includes interviews with Islamic State group jihadists taken prisoner by Kurdish forces in Syria. Also, it includes interviews in Egypt where a survivor of the attack on Egyptian Christians in Libya in February tells his story.

Photo/Video Essay From Yarmouk Denouncing Syria UN Representative Claims: “Yarmouk is Empty” (26 April 2015) On the 25th of April 2015, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari claimed that Yarmouk’s population doesn’t exceed 1000 person following ISIS assault on the camp. Consequently, Yarmouk’s residents gathered today under the slogan: “We Are Here To Remain….In Yarmouk”, in order to convey a clear and sharp message to Jaafari, the Syrian government and any other party.

In Search of a Syria Strategy (30 April 2015) What is the United States trying to accomplish in Syria? Are its goals achievable with current strategies? Moderated by Justin Logan, Director of Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute, panelists, Emma Ashford; Erica Borghard; and Nicholas Heras discuss how we reached this point, and the extent to which the U.S. should or should not be involved in the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Arabic Articles

 سعاد نوفل… السورية الشجاعة تخجل أن تفرح لوحدها! Duha Ashour interviews Souad Nowfal a Syrian activist who was recently awarded The Homo Homini Award in recognition of her activism.   

داعش : "خلافة بوك" بدل "فايسبوك"... ISIS announces the launch of its new social media network "5elafbook" as an alternative to Facebook.

«داعش» إذ يتغلغل في أفريقيا Tariq Azizeh writes about the expansion of ISIS in west and north Africa and the African Union response to that. 

دولة «الحشد الشعبي» في مواجهة دولة «الخلافة» Isam al Khafaji reflects on Iran and ISIS struggle for controlling Iraq.

عسكري أمريكي سابق ينفي تهم الارهاب المسندة اليه A former US Air Force veteran has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly trying to join ISIS. 

 اليونيسف تطالب الحكومات بالتفاوض مع داعش لتوصيل المساعدات Countries should negotiate with Islamic State to persuade it to let UN children`s agency UNICEF into areas the militants control, says the aid organization’s representative in Syria

واقع إغاثة دير الزور في عهد الخليفة Hussam Al-Jaber discusses the humanitarian situation in Deir ez-Zor under the domination of ISIS. 

إلى داعش... الإنترنت أم الجدران العازلة؟ Fatima al-Issawi discusses the influences of factors like Internet usage and cultural isolation on ISIS`s online recruitment efforts that target young people. 

ظهور داعش.... ربّ ضارة نافعة، آن الأوان لرفع الغطاء عن الاسلام الموروثMuhammad Shahrour criticizes the phenomenon of ISIS and the authority of hadith by providing Quranist analysis.  

صرخة من أجل اليرموك Dler Yoseph reflects on the recent reports about ISIS controlling of large areas of Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp. 

ماذا بعد دخول داعش إلى مخيم اليرموك؟ Ammar Daioub analyzes the situation and future possibilities of Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp after the control of ISIS. 

 داعش يعدم قيادات حركة النقشبندية في الموصل  ISIS executed the leaders of Naqshbandi movement in Mosul accusing them of conspiring against the organization`s members.  

مأساة الرمادي: «داعش» يهجّر 90 ألفاً More than 100,000 new internal Iraqi refugees fled the fighting around the provincial capital, Ramadi, as ISIS has attempted to complete its takeover of the city. 

"داعش" يصدر هوية ثلاثية الأبعاد ISIS issued identity cards with a three-dimensional chip and an electronic SIM card “ to help Islamic State fighters securely move between the Iraqi stronghold of Mosul and their self-declared capital of Raqqa, in Syria”.

هل الدولة الإسلامية هي الحل؟ Muhammad Shahrur provides a Quranist analysis about if the Islamic state is the solution after the Arab Spring.   

تنظيم الدولة يضع قفصاً حديدياً في مدينة الطبقة لمعاقبة المدخنين وتاركي الصلاة Syrian activists from "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently" campaign reported that ISIS put an iron cage in a public square in al-Tabqah, a city located in Ar-Raqqah Governorate. The cage is to punish civilians smokers and those who do not go to pray in the mosque.

 العراق: "داعش" يفتح جبهات ثانوية بمقاتلين مستوردين Safaa Abdel-Hamid comments on news that ISIS transferred around 800 of its fiercest fighters from Syria to the Anbar province in Iraq. 

 مأساة في الرمادي Amer Mohsen provides an insight into the crucial role of the Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Committees) in the fighting against ISIS in Iraq.

قوانين دولة الخلافة تتحكم بمصير المرضى Hussam Al-Jaber demonstrates the ways in which ISIS laws negatively affects the lives, health and well-being of Syrians.

Books

The Islamic State: A Brief Introduction (25 March 2015) “What is the Islamic State? Is it a threat as potent and large as Al Qaeda in the early 2000s? Charles R. Lister, a Brookings fellow and journalist with long experience in the region, provides answers to these and other questions in The Islamic State: A Brief Introduction. He shows that IS is not a new phenomenon but has long historical roots in the region and has evolved from a small terrorist group into a functional state.”

Review: ‘ISIS: The State of Terror,’ by Jessica Stern and J. M. Berger, and ‘ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror,’ by Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan (2 April 2015) Michiko Kakutani reviews the book “ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror” by Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan, which draws upon the authors’ extensive reporting to give insights at the organization’s evolution and its operations today.  

The Islamic State`s (ISIS, ISIL) Magazine: Dabiq

“All of the issues of the Islamic State`s glossy propaganda magazine `Dabiq,` named after a key site in Muslim apocalypse mythology can be found here.” 

Or you can download the last issue (Issue 8) from here: Islamic State (ISIS) Magazine: Dabiq - "Shari`ah Alone Will Rule Africa" (Issue 8)  "The eighth issue of the Islamic State`s Dabiq magazine is called Shari`ah Alone Will Rule Africa. Like other issues of Dabiq it focuses on Islamic State successes, leaving out the group`s defeats in strategic areas of Iraq and Syria to focus on Africa. It emphasizes the pledge of allegiance from Boko Haram in Nigeria and terror attacks in Libya and Tunisia. It tries to portray an organization with a future by glorifying its child soldier program and undermining the legitimacy of Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra by attacking its allies as `nationalists` and therefore un-Islamic."

ISIS in the News: Extensive Media Roundup (January-February 2015)

[Editorial Note: This is not a "Best of," only a roundup of significant pieces. See here for an introduction to this roundup series] 
 
English Articles       

2014: The Year ISIS Won the Propaganda Battle (31 December 2014)
Markham Nolan writes about the ways in which ISIS has been documenting its progress throughout 2014 in a constant stream of propaganda. 

Vanguard of Syria’s uprising, now on the run from ISIS, weighs a bleak future 2014: The Year ISIS Won the Propaganda Battle (1 January 2015)
Anne Barnard on Syria’s “lost generation” and the former fighters exhausted by the continuous clashes and years of war. 

Hammer and Anvil (2 January 2015)
Robert A. Pape, Kevin Ruby, and Vincent Bauer analyze the hammer-and-anvil approach and provide insights into how best to weaken and defeat ISIS.

Islamic State school closures in Syria affect 670,000- U.N. (6 January 2015)
Syrian youth are being deprived of their education due to the fact that IS has ordered the closing of schools to change the current curriculum. 

U.S. Military Investigating if Airstrikes Killed Civilians in Iraq and Syria (6 January 2015)
“Allegations of civilian deaths raise questions about the need for deeper U.S. military involvement in the war against the Islamic State.” 

Voices from the Caliphate – Deir al-Zour (7 January 2015)
Farah Nasif tells stories of how Syrians in ISIS-controlled Deir al-Zour respond to ISIS rule in different ways varying from adapting, staying home, pretending piety or even travelling to regime-controlled areas.   

Young Syrians make easy prey for militants (8 January 2015)
“By September, Abu Mahmoud said the family faced an ultimatum. They could either accept a new life in Raqqa under the banner of ISIS, he said, or they could flee.”

Jamaat Ansar al-Islam in Syria Joins The Islamic State? (8 January 2015)
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi provides an insight about the relation between Jamaat Ansar al-Islam (JAI) and the Islamic State (IS) after purported allegiance to IS by JAI.

CENTCOM`s Twitter Hacked By ISIS? (12 January 2015)
“Central Command has been hacked by ISIS, according to messages posted on CentCom`s Twitter page”

Amid Raging Violence in Syria, Lebanese Sunnis Turn Backs on Islamic State (13 January 2015)
David Kenner analyzes the fallout of the twin suicide bombings by al Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front that targeted Tripoli`s predominantly Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen.

Don’t believe the hype, ISIL is still on the offensive (13 January 2015)
Hassan Hassan argues that the new analysis that indicates that ISIS has lost 10% of its territory does not mean that ISIL is retreating. In fact, Hassan emphasizes: "ISIL is still in full control of its territory and sometimes on the offensive in enemy territory." 

Months of Airstrikes Fail to Slow Islamic State in Syria (14 January 2015)
“Militant Group Has Gained Territory Despite U.S.-Led Strikes, Raising Concerns of the Obama Administration’s Mideast Strategy.”

Exclusive: ISIS Gaining Ground in Syria, Despite U.S. Strikes (15 January 2015)
This article illustrates that despite nearly 800 airstrikes by the American-led campaign against ISIS, the latter continues to gain substantial ground in Syria and controls now one-third of the country’s territory. 

ISIS executes pigeon and bird breeders in Diyala, Iraq (16 January 2015)
ISIS executes 15 pigeon and bird breeders in Diyala, Iraq for being “unislamic.” ISIS seeks to force individuals to join them. 

Conversations: In Raqqa, Pharmacists Take an ISIS `Re-Education Course` (16 January 2015)
Syrian Pharmacist gives his opinion on the rulings and practices of ISIS and how this has effected life in Raqqa, especially for pharmacists. 

Kurdish leaders say they know who pushed ISIS to attack Kurdistan (16 January 2015)
Kurdish leaders reveal that they know who encouraged ISIS to begin attacks on the Kurdistan Region last summer.

US to send 400 troops to train Syrian rebels (16 January 2015)
The BBC reports that the US is sending 400 troops and hundreds of support staff to train moderate rebels against ISIS aiming to train more than 5,000 rebels annually for three years.

America needs to develop a consistent policy in Syria (17 January 2015)
Hussein Ibish argues that the coalition against ISIS "cannot have a plausible strategy to defeat ISIS in Iraq without simultaneously having one in Syria."

Prisoners in Their Own City: ISIS Bans Women Under 45 from Leaving Raqqa (19 January 2015)
ISIS bans women under 45 to leave the city of Raqqa for the purpose of forcing women to marry ISIS fighters.

Sectarianism hides truth that ‘people have no role in their destinies,’ says Alawite dissident (19 January 2015)
Alawite: “If you find me an alternative to Nusra and ISIS, Asad wouldn’t find a single person behind him.”

When Women Become Terrorists (21 January 2015)
Jayne Huckerby criticizes the West’s inability to appreciate the role that women play in terror by discussing the example of the hunt for Hayat Boumeddiene. 

Turkey`s porous Syria border no barrier for jihadists (21 January 2015)
This Al-Monitor article raises questions about Hayat Boumeddiene as well as Ankara`s political will to control its borders with Syria and confront the threat posed by ISIS jihadists.

The secret world of Isis training camps – ruled by sacred texts and the sword (24 January 2015)
Hassan Hassan writes about the ways in which Isis bases its teachings on religious texts that mainstream Muslim clerics ignore and the effect of these teachings on recruits.

More moderate Syrians ready to battle Islamic State than expected: U.S. official (25 January 2015)
U.S. plans to train and equip vetted Syrian opposition fighters in efforts to stop the Islamic State.

As US targets ISIS, al Qaeda`s Syria branch waits in the wings (29 January 2015)
Lauren Williams compares between ISIS plans and The Nusra Front plans to build an Islamic state and discusses the effect of the US air campaign on these plans. 

The Political Geography of Syria`s War: An Interview with Fabrice Balanche (30 January 2015)
Aron Lund interviews Fabriche Balanche who provides an insight that takes a closer look at Syria’s war and the “interplay between power, community, and territory.”

‘We are so proud` – the women who died defending Kobani against Isis (30 January 2015)
After Kurdish forces took full control of Kobani, Mona Mahmood speaks to four Kurdish families about the female fighters contributions to this triumph. 

Battered Syrian city deals with post-victory reality check  (2 February 2015)
The victory in Kobani, Syria, is far from assured and “increasingly appears Pyrrhic.” 

After defeating Islamic State in Kobane, what next for Syria`s Kurds? (3 February 2015)
The battle may have been won in Kobane, but the challenge is rebuilding Kobane and changing military to political gains. 

Jaish Al-Islam goes after another rival (3 February 2015)
Jaish al-Islam and allied factions continue to eradicate minor factions in East Gouta, claiming they’re linked to IS.

Moaz al-Kasaesbeh: profile of Jordanian pilot burned alive by Isil (3 February 2015)
Ruth Sherlock writes a profile about Lt Moaz Kasaesbeh, who was shown burned alive by ISIS jihadists in a video released on February 3rd.

Dispatches: Jordan’s Executions Are Not the Answer to ISIS Brutality (4 February 2015)
Eric Goldstein writes against the Jordanian authorities response to the brutal murder of al-Kasasbeh by executing death row prisoners, and argues that such actions do not weaken ISIS.

How much of a state is the Islamic State? (5 February 2015)
Quinn Mecham provides an insight into the “stateness” of ISIS as it has developed in early 2015.

Islamic State punishes cleric who objected to pilot`s killing: monitor (6 February 2015)
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an Islamic State cleric who objected to the group`s decision to burn to death al-Kasasbeh has been removed from his post and will be put on trial.

Islamic State claims American hostage killed in bombing in Syria (6 February 2015)
Adam Goldman and Karen DeYoung report on the death of Kayla Mueller, a humanitarian aid worker kidnapped and murdered by ISIS.

Guess Who’s Bombing ISIS? (7 February 2015)
Micah Zenko comments on the UAE’s behavior of suspending airstrikes against ISIS and the dynamics of the counter-ISIS coalition warfare.

Isis has reached new depths of depravity. But there is a brutal logic behind it (7 February 2015)
Hassan Hassan examines the ideology that is driving ISIS to ever more brutal killings.

Islamic State pulls forces and hardware from Syria`s Aleppo rebels (9 February 2015)
While the Islamic State is under pressure from U.S.-led air strikes, they have started to evacuate several small villages in northeastern Aleppo and heading east. 

Here`s How Obama and Assad Team Up against ISIS (10 February 2015)
Jamie Dettmer argues that strong evidence suggests the White House and the Assad government in Syria are unofficially coordinating attacks against ISIS in Northern Iraq.

The destruction of the idols: Syria’s patrimony at risk from extremists (11 February 2015)
Patrick Cockburn writes about the ways in which Syria`s wealth of archaeological treasures is under threat both from iconoclastic Islamic fundamentalists and looters operating amid the lawlessness of war.

Isis `forces Raqqa citizens to give blood to fighters` badly wounded by coalition air strikes (11 February 2015)
Heather Saul reports that ISIS is forcing people living under its rule to give blood after dozens of fighters were injured in US-led coalition air strikes.

 Syrian townspeople insist U.S. airstrike killed civilians (12 February 2015)
Syrians claim that U.S. kills 25 to 60 Syrian civilians in bombing of ISIS prison in al-Bab, but denies truth of reports.

Homo Homini human rights award given to a Syrian teacher that stood up to Bashar Assad`s regime and the Islamic State (13 February 2015)
Souad Nawfal, a Syrian teacher and activist, was awarded the 2014 Homo Homini Award, for her perseverance and fortitude with which she stood against the injustices committed by President Bashar Assad`s regime and the so-called Islamic State, regardless of the threat to her own safety.

Why the victory in Kobane matters (13 February 2015)
According to Aron Lund, the victory in Kobane was no “Pyrrhic victory,” the U.S. backed Kurdish defeat of the Islamic state in northern Syria was the beginning of a serious turn of events for the Islamic State. 

Will Middle East ground troops be rallied against IS? (13 February 2015)
Muath Al Wari discusses the possibility of the participation of Middle Eastern forces in war against ISIS and the question of President Bashar al-Assad’s fate.

Manufacturing Silence: On Jordan`s ISIS War, Arab Authoritarianism, and US Empire (14 February 2015)
Ziad Abu-Rish criticizes Jordanian regime’s silencing of dissent after al-Kassasbeh’s capture, which aims to legitimate “the regime at a time when regional protest movements have challenged authoritarian rule in new ways”.

A Libyan Front in the War on ISIS Might Not Be All That It Seems (16 February 2015)
Mary Dejevsky claims that the murder of twenty-one Egyptian guest-workers outside Sirte, Libya is a proof of a strong ISIS presence outside Northern Iraq and Syria.

Will Racism Keep ISIS from Teaming Up with Boko Haram? (18 February 2015)
Robert Windrem provides his insight into the difference between ISIS and Boko Haram. U.S. Intelligence officials claim that ISIS won`t join forces with Nigeria`s Boko Haram because of racism.

Missing Syria girls: Parents must `keep passports under lock and key` to stop children joining Isis (23 February 2015)
Lizzie Dearden writes about ISIS social media campaign to target young girls and the increasing cases in which teenage girls had fled to Syria from London to join the jihadist group.

ISIS abducts scores of Christians in northeastern Syria, groups say (24 February 2015)
Greg Botelho and Gul Tuysuz report about the abduction of between 70 and 100 Assyrians in northeastern Syria villages by ISIS militants. 

 Islamic State is selling looted Syrian art in London to fund its fight (25 February 2015)
Daniela Deane writes about how many Syrian archaeological sites have suffered damage amid civil war as well as looting by the Islamic State.

Boko Haram + ISIS = Marriage from Hell (25 February 2015)
Tim Lister provides insights into the possibility of alliance between ISIS and Boko Haram, who “has also begun using ISIS symbolism in its media productions and operations “

How ISIS Runs a City (26 February 2015)
Thanassis Cambanis describes how ISIS functions much like a government than any of its “detractors,” collecting taxes, pumping oil, and policing streets.

Why Bashar Assad Won’t Fight ISIS (26 February 2015)
Aryn Baker gives her take on Bashar Al-Assad’s ulterior motive towards the Islamic State and how this approach is necessary.

ISIS Onslaught Engulfs Assyrian Christians as Militants Destroy Ancient Art (26 February 2015)
Anne Barnard writes about the assault on the Assyrian communities and the catastrophic loss for Iraq history and archaeology after the destruction of ancient relics and valuable objects inside the Mosul Museum, in northern Iraq, by ISIS.

Understanding Turkey`s For ISIS, tough times as it seeks to regroup cross-border operation into Syria (28 February)
“It`s been a tough month for the "Islamic State." Its fighters were finally driven out of the Syrian border town of Kobani after more than 100 days of fighting against Kurdish militia; Iraqi government forces pushed ISIS back in Diyala province; the city of Mosul -- still under ISIS control -- is beginning to look vulnerable”

Understanding Turkey`s unprecedented cross-border operation into Syria
(28 February 2015)
“Turkey is now realizing that it should update its security policy with the West in regards to the ISIS threat." 


Policy and Reports 

Why the Islamic State Will Continue to Exist in 2015 (7 January 2015)
Lina Khatib provides her perspective on the reasons that will keep The Islamic State as a major actor in the Syrian conflict in 2015 and beyond.

The Arabic version of this article can be found here:

تنظيم "الدولة الإسلامية" باقٍ في 2015

The Islamic State Eyes Expansion in Damascus (20 January 2015)
According to Chris Kozak, a Research Analyst at The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), "The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has begun to expand its presence in the Syrian central corridor which stretches from the Jordanian border through Damascus to the central cities of Homs and Hama."

Why the fight against Islamic State is not the success we`re told it is (23 January 2015)
Scott Lucas explores the fundamental political challenges in Iraq and Syria and some alternatives that could challenge ISIS. 

ISIS Tactics Questioned as Hostages Dwindle (1 February 2015)“F.B.I. claims ISIS-affiliated group is tasked with kidnapping journalists in the region & returning them to Syria” 

Syria Situation Report: February 03-10, 2015 (11 February 2015)
According to Institute for the Study of War (ISW), “ISIS Continues to Lose Ground in Northeastern Aleppo: ISIS appears to be contracting in response to continued gains by the YPG and allied rebel forces.”

TSG IntelBrief: Extremists and Rebels Battle for Northern Syria   (10 February 2015) According to Soufan Group, a New York-based security and intelligence firm, “amid reports the Islamic State is withdrawing from parts of Aleppo, the fighting in northern Syria has increasingly become Turkey’s regional battlefield.”

The “Islamic State” Crisis and U.S. Policy (PDF file) (11 February 2015)
Kenneth Katzman, Christopher M. Blanchard, Carla E. Humud, Rhoda Margesson and Matthew C. Weed provide a comprehensive report that analyze the situation in both Syria and Iraq after the emrgence of ISIS and the U.S. strategy to combat the Islamic State organization as well as policy debates and related legislative Issues.

TSG IntelBrief: The Islamic State’s Greatest Enemy (11 February 2015)
According to Soufan Group, a New York-based security and intelligence firm, the Islamic State has targeted both aid workers and journalists because “the goals of those two professions—providing aid and information—are anathema to the group.”

How to Authorize War (15 February 2015)
Jens David Ohlin applauds the White House for seeking congressional authorization for operations against ISIS but questions the nebulous definition of "associated forces" also targeted by the authorization.

ISIS is losing (23 February 2015)
Zack Beauchamp analyzes the current situation on ground and argues that ISIS will lose its battle to hold territory in Iraq


Economy and Agriculture

Oil prices have collapsed, but oil-rich ISIS says it`s still in the black (5 January 2015)
Oil prices are rapidly decreasing, and there is a significant amount of external pressure being put on ISIS, however this does not seem to be hurting ISIS as much as planned.

The Isis economy: Meet the new boss (5 January 2015)
Erika Solomon provides insights into ISIS’s economic management in Syria and Iraq, "If Isis’s “caliphate” were a state, it would be a country of the poor. Most Syrians in the territory are struggling to get by on about $115 a month. Isis’s foreign fighters make as much as five times that. "

ISIS Could Cost Italy Billions In Libyan Oil Profits (20 February 2015)
Barbie Latza Nadeau explains how the emergence of ISIS in Libya affects current and future Italian investments. “Historically, Italy and Libya have had a cozy relationship, but as Libya unravels under the threat of ISIS, their bond with Italy is unraveling too. Billions of dollars in oil profits are caught in the crossfire.”

“ISIS Caliphate Meets China’s Silk Road Economic Belt” (22 February 2015)
Christina Lin examines the clashing ambitions between ISIS and China. “While the Western U.S.-led coalition continues to be hamstrung by a lack of ground forces, the coveted “boots on the ground” could eventually come from the East–as China asserts its military power to protect its energy supply and stem ISIS-inspired insurgency in its strategic Xinjiang province.”
 

Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media

Inside Kobane: Keeping Islamic State at bay (5 January 2015)
“The Kurdish border city of Kobane in Northern Syria has been under siege by Islamic State fighters for more than three months. But Kurdish forces are managing to retain hold of most of the city. As well as keeping IS at bay – they see getting their story out to the rest of the world as a vital part of their mission. An Iranian Kurdish film-maker spent two weeks inside Kobane following the men and women risking their lives to publicise the ongoing battle.”

"سبايا الخلافة": وثائقي بي بي سي عن الأيزيديات (12 January 2015)
The BBC documentary about sex slaves being held by ISIS and the trauma of the Yazidi women who bravely tell their stories.

Kazakh Child Soldier Executes ‘Russian Spies’ in Islamic State Video (13 January 2015)
A new video released by the official Islamic State media wing, Al Hayat Media, shows a Kazakh child soldier executing two men, allegedly identified as Russian “spies.”

Is U.S. Gaining Or Losing Ground Against ISIS? (15 January 2015)
“Is the U.S. gaining or losing ground in its bombing campaign against ISIS? Audie Cornish puts the question to Jennifer Cafarella, a fellow at the Institute for the Study of War.”

US should stop Syria not ISIS: Saudi prince (21 January 2015)
Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos U.S. policymakers should concentrate on eliminating the threat posed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad instead of Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

Families Beg Runaway U.K. Teen Girls Not to Join ISIS in Syria (21 January 2015)
“Families of two of the three teenage girls who U.K. counterterrorism officials fear are headed for Syria to join ISIS expressed their concern for the girls` safety”

Map: How the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria has surged since October (27 January 2015)
According to the ICSR,  the number of foreign fighters traveling to Iraq and Syria has grown to 20,000, which indicates that the Syrian conflict has attracted more foreign militants than the 1980s Afghan conflict.

War Debate Looms for Congress (3 February 2015)
CNN reports on lawmakers` reactions to the White House request for a war authorization for operations against ISIS.

Source: ISIS wants more hostages  (7 February 2015)
Paul Cruickshank and Steve Almasy report that ISIS has plans since the middle of last year to kidnap Westerners and others in neighboring countries. 

We left them behind promo (8 February 2015)
We Left Them Behind, a documentary about kidnapped journalists who vanished in troubled Syria. Omar al-Muqdad investigates their stories from the moment they put foot in Turkey until their disappearance in Syria. The film took place in four different countries. From the USA to Turkey, Syria, Germany and back to the USA.

A Formal U.S. War On The Islamic State (12 February 2015)
Joshua Landis discusses the status of the Islamic State on NPR, and says that: “Unless you’re willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars, you’re not going to fix Syria.”

Noam Chomsky on the rise of Islamic State & the Ukraine crisis | Channel 4 News  (12 February 2015) Noam Chomsky talks to Jon Snow about the rise of Islamic State and the crisis in Ukraine. 

Landis: Assad Wants Cooperation From Unwilling U.S., No Partner In Syria (13 February 2015) According to Joshua Landis, the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad seeks to strategically team up with the U.S. against a common enemy, the Islamic State.

On The Kurdish Front Line In The Fight Against ISIS (16 February 2015)
“In the disputed area on the edges of IS-controlled territory are the last outposts of Kurdish resistance to IS”. With incredible access, Marco Maisano, Giacomo Betti and Marco Picinotti meet the hardened fighters and embittered refugees among them.

ISIS: On The Frontline (27 February 2015)
Ahlulbayt TV went to Iraq to find out what is happening on the frontlines on the war on ISIS.

Antiquities Scholar: Islamic State`s Destruction of Museum & Library is Cultural & Ethnic Cleansing (27 February 2015)
Zainab Bahrani, professor of Near Eastern and East Mediterranean art and archeology at Columbia University, comments on the destruction of the ancient artifacts at the museum of Mosul by ISIS. The group also reportedly destroyed the Mosul public library, which housed more than 8,000 rare books and manuscripts. 

 بالفيديو...شاهد نموذجا عن مدارس داعش!
This video shows an example of schools under ISIS rule.


Arabic: 

«داعش» يقطف ثمار «غزوة باريس»
Abdullah Suleiman Ali comments on the recent France Charlie Hebdo attacks and its connections to Al-Qaeda and ISIS. 

تبادل أسرى بين النظام السوري و"داعش" جنوب القلمون
Osman Al-Mukhtar reports that the Syrian regime and ISIS made a deal to exchange prisoners in Kalamoon, Syria. 

بالصور: «داعش» يطلق «رجال الحسبة» في «ولاية طرابلس»
This article reports ISIS implementation of Hisbah in Tripoli, which means the duty of the ruler to command right and forbid wrong according to Sharia. 

«داعش» يتمدد نحو اليمن والجزائر!
Abdullah Suleiman Ali discusses ISIS new expansions in Syria, Yemen, and Algeria.

The English version of this article can be found here:
Islamic State announces new province in Syria

"داعش" يعيد افتتاح مدارس الرقة باسماء جديدة
This article reports that ISIS reopened schools in Raqqah under new names and conditions. 

متى يعتزل المقاتلون السوريون الجهاد
Salam al-Saadi shares his opinion about the future of Syrian jihadists and the power dynamics that they are caught within it.   

شيزوفرينيا سورية
Bisan El Sheikh writes about women and sexuality issues under the rule of ISIS and the ways in which some Syrian opposition figures ignore these issues.   

بالصور.. مخرج فلسطيني يحلّل فيلم حرق الكساسبة لحظة بلحظة
Nizar Abu Ziad, a Palestinian director, analyzes ISIS` 22-minute film entitled “Healing the Believers` Chests” that records Al-Kasasbeh murder. 

عفراء جلبي تكتب: نيران داعش .. تفضح الجميع
Afra Jalabi criticizes the selective empathy with victims of violence in Syria depending on the identity of the killer.

حُرق الكساسبة فهل داعش هو المجرم الوحيد
Ammar Daiob criticizes representing ISIS, after al-Kasasbeh execution by burning, as the only criminal force in the ongoing conflict in Syria and ignoring other political powers’ violations and crimes. 

هكذا "يسلب" ويصنع "داعش" أمواله ويثري خزائنه
This article highlights the strategies that Da‘ish uses to build its economy incomes. 

العبادي لـ «الحياة»: بغداد خارج خطر «داعش» والسنّة أول المتضررين
Al-Hayat conducted an interview with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who addressed Iraqi-Iranian relations and their fluctuations in light of Islamic State attacks, and the Saudi Arabia issue, among other regional files.

The English version of this article can be found here:
Iraqi PM talks Iran, IS and Saudi Arabia

 داعش يوزع منهاجاً دراسياً جديداً في الميادين بدير الزور
This article reports that Da‘ish started to distribute an Islamist Wahhabi curriculum in the schools of Mayadin city in Deir ez-Zor Governorate. 

هل يمكن للأسد أن يكون شريك في مواجهة داعش؟
Haid Haid explores the possibilities of Al-Assad`s army to win the battle against ISIS and Al-Nusra front. 

استراتيجية أوباما في الحرب على «داعش» والنظام السوري
Raghida Dergham analyzes Obama`s strategy to combat Da‘ish as well as the Syrian regime and the impact of the nuclear negotiations on this strategy.

تنظيم الدولة الإسلامية: منطق المغالاة في العنف
Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck argues that ISIS strategy in showing extreme power and cruelty aims to motivate people to put pressure on their governments to withdraw their troops from the coalition.

"داعش" يكشف عن مفاوضات ساجدة ــ الكساسبة
Mohammad al-Fadilat discusses an audio recording released by ISIS that reveals aspects of the mediation process between ISIS and Abu Muhammad al-Maqdis regarding swapping Sajida al-Rishawi, the would-be bomber, for Moaz al-Kasasba, the captivated Jordanian pilot.

سوريا: فرار آلاف المسيحيين إثر اختطاف "داعش" للعشرات
This article reports the escape of thousands Syrian Christians after ISIS`s abduction of 270 Assyrians in northeastern Syria villages. 

تقارير ألمانية: داعش يستولي على نحو 3800 جواز سفر سوري خالي
ISIS has seized 3,800 blank Syrian passports in Raqqa, with valid passport numbers. 

«داعش» والمسألة الطائفية في العراق
Amer Mohsen criticizes the dominant narrative that attributes the reasons behind the emergence of ISIS in Iraq to the "marginalization of Sunni".


The Islamic State`s (ISIS, ISIL) Magazine: Dabiq


“All of the issues of the Islamic State`s glossy propaganda magazine `Dabiq,` named after a key site in Muslim apocalypse mythology can be found here.”

Or you can download the last issue (Issue 7) from here:

Islamic State (ISIS) Magazine: Dabiq - "From Hypocrisy to Apostasy" (Issue 7) 


New Books

`ISIS: Inside The Army of Terror`; An Excerpt from Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan (23 February 2015)
"A legacy of both Saddam and al-Zarqawi, ISIS has excelled at couching its struggle in world-historical terms. It has promised both death and a return to the ancient glories of Islam. Thousands have lined up to join it, and even more have already fallen victim to it. The army of terror will be with us indefinitely."