ISIS

Spotlight on Global Jihad (December 24-31, 2014)

The main event of the week was the crash of a Jordanian aircraft in Al-Raqqah and the capture of its pilot by ISIS. Fighting in Iraq and Syria continued in the major battle zones, without significant changes on the ground. A senior Iranian officer in the Revolutionary Guards, who served as advisor to the Iraqi
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (December 23-17, 2014)

In Syria and Iraq, ISIS continued fighting in the various battle zones. In Iraq, ISIS recorded successes in areas north of Baghdad (the oil city of Baiji, areas south of the city of Samarra) and in the Sunni province of Al-Anbar (in the city of Ramadi, the provincial capital). In Syria, the Kurds were successful
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News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (December 17-13, 2014)

A rocket hit was identified in Israel’s south, the third since the end of Operation Protective Edge. On December 17, 2014, Jordan proposed a draft version of a Palestinian resolution to the UN Security Council calling for a peace arrangement and the end of the (Israeli) occupation of the Palestinian territories before 2017. On December
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Evaluation of the American Campaign against ISIS and Its Chances of Success *

President Obama has set the US the clear, but in ITIC assessment pretentious, goal of destroying ISIS with a comprehensive campaign of several years. By setting the final goal as the destruction of ISIS, he has created high expectations for his and the next administration.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (December 10-16, 2014)

One of the main events of the week was an incident in which an armed man (born in Iran, with a criminal record) took people hostage in a café in Sydney, Australia. Fighting in Iraq and Syria continued in the major battle zones without significant changes on the ground.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (December 1-9, 2014)

In Syria and Iraq, the US-led campaign against ISIS continues. In the city of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) in northern Syria, the fighting continues with no decisive victory by either party. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed responsibility for attacks against the US Embassy and an explosion near the home of the Iranian ambassador in
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ISIS

ISIS is a relatively new Salafist-jihadi Islamic terrorist organization. ISIS is part of a radical Islamist movement that was established around a decade ago as a branch of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. During the course of the fighting against the United States, ISIS established itself in the Sunni areas of western Iraq. During the civil war in Syria, ISIS expanded to Syrian territory as well. In June 2014, ISIS recorded impressive achievements, culminating in the takeover of the city of Mosul, Iraq, the takeover of Al-Raqqah in Syria, and the announcement of the establishment of the Caliphate State (the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria).

ISIS has branches (provinces) in the Sinai Peninsula, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, West Africa and elsewhere. These branches are inspired by ISIS. ISIS carries out terrorist attacks against the forces fighting against it, as well as terrorist attacks outside Syria and Iraq. In addition to fighting against its many enemies in Iraq and Syria, ISIS carries out terrorist attacks abroad, either directly by its operatives, or by instigating its supporters to carry out terrorist attacks in the countries where they live (“ISIS-inspired attacks”). ISIS has carried out several noteworthy attacks in cities in Western Europe, Turkey, the Sinai Peninsula, and Russia. In September 2014, the United States announced the establishment of a coalition for the war against ISIS. The US-led Coalition forces assist the Iraqi army and local forces in Syria through air support, sending experts, and providing weapons and training. In the wake of the war against ISIS, the organization has begun to lose its bases in Syria and Iraq, including the large cities of Mosul and Al-Raqqah.

ISIS places considerable emphasis on propaganda and has established extensive and professional media outlets that use Western tools and images to disseminate its messages. ISIS’s messages are disseminated around the world, trying to offer new meaning to isolated, alienated young Muslims.