2 Heir to the Caliph? Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Sultan Abdulmecid

3 In reality the heir to AQI (al Qaeda of Iraq)Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Killed by US special forces in a small cinder block farm house 40 miles north of Baghdad in 2006 Alienated al Qaeda leadership due to his brutality Tapped into hostility/humiliation of disenfranchised Sunni 2006 Anbar Awakening

4 Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

7 Who are the enemies of ISIS?US Russia Turkey Kurds Yazidi Barzani Talabani PKK YPG (Syrian People’s Protection Brigades) Iraqi Army Syrian Army Nusra Front Al Qaeda Shia Militias Badr organization Madi Army (Muktada al Sadr)

8 Areas of Kurdish inhabitants25 Million live in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Armenia The largest nation without a state

9 Putin’s Intervention And Pullout? Goals:Bringing Russia back to center stage in the global arena Preventing Regime Change in Syria (particularly by outside powers) Strengthening Pres. Assad Maintain base in Syria Picking off Russian Jihadists on the battlefield

12 A Syrian Civil War a “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”………….Not Likely in Syria

13 A war against ISIL

14 The Kurds and Turkey Attaturk’s 1924 Decree Sheik Said Rebellion“Mountain Turks” 1978 PKK (Partia Karkarem Kurdistan 40 K fatalities Erdogan’s 1991 law change

15 Discussion Questions Why did ISIL/Daesh rise to prominance?Why is ISIL/Daesh important? Why have they been able to recruit so effectively? Who are their friends and enemies? Have they been controlled and are they in decline? What should the U.S. do?

16 Paris 2015 Ankara 2015 Brussels 2016 Next?