Digital Learning Commons: Modern Conflicts: ISIS

Islamic State

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) also known as

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)

Active: 1999 to present

Leader: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Area of operations: Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon

Size: estimated between 47,600–257,900

Map of Syrian Civil War, Iraq War, and Lebanese Insurgency: dark gray areas indicate ISIS controlled regions (click on image for map key and more detailed explanation).

Map by BlueHypercane761 via Wikimedia Commons

PBS Frontline

Losing Iraq
July 2014. U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in 2011, ending America’s military commitment in the country. Now, chaos is once again engulfing Iraq. Frontline takes a look at how we got here, what went wrong, and what happens next.
The Rise of ISIS
October 2014. Investigates the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Correspondent Martin Smith reports from Iraq on how the country began coming undone after the American withdrawal and what it means for the U.S. to be fighting there again.
Escaping ISIS
July 2015. Using undercover footage, Frontline presents the gripping, first-hand accounts of women who escaped the brutal reign of ISIS -- and follows an underground network that's helping them escape.
The Secret History of ISIS
May 2016. The inside story of the creation of ISIS, and how the United States missed the many warning signs. The film uncovers the terror group’s earliest plans, the Islamic radicals who became its leaders, and the American failures to stop ISIS’s brutal rise.
Obama at War
May 2015. Inside the Obama administration's struggle to deal with ISIS and the deadly civil war in Syria. With interviews from key military and diplomatic leaders, Obama at War examines the hard choices facing the president as he tries to defeat the Islamic State without dragging America into a prolonged regional conflict.

Resources

ISIS
Detailed information about ISIS from the Counter Extremism Project.
Islamic State group: The full story
In-depth coverage of the Islamic State (ISIS) from BBC News.
The Islamic State
"Backgrounder" article from the Council on Foreign Relations about ISIS, including origins, funding, relationship with Al Qaeda, and efforts of the U.S.-led coalition.