Islamic State & Predecessor Groups

This is the gateway to resources, research, and analysis the Combating Terrorism Center has produced over the last decade about the Islamic State, also referred to as the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) and Da`ish, and its predecessor groups (al-Tawhid wa-al-Jihad, al-Qa`ida in Mesopotamia (AQI), Majlis Shura al-Mujahidin, Hilf al-Muttayibin and the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)).

Additional CTC research and analysis about factors shaping the conflict in Iraq and Syria is also included. These resources contextualize the development of the Islamic State. Resources are organized into five categories: major reports, CTC Sentinel articles, CTC Perspectives, CTC commentary about the early development of AQI, and declassified primary sources produced by AQI, ISI, and other militant groups in Iraq.

September 29, 2021

A View from the CT Foxhole: David Caulfield, Former Chief, Defense Combating Terrorism Center, Defense Intelligence Agency

Richard M. Yon, Don Rassler, Nakissa Jahanbani

March 31, 2022

Examining Digital Currency Usage by Terrorists in Syria

Audrey Alexander, Teddy MacDonald

February 24, 2022

A Prison Attack and the Death of its Leader: Weighing Up the Islamic State’s Trajectory in Syria

Charlie Winter, Abdullah Alrhmoun

A View from the CT Foxhole: Randall Blake, Former National Intelligence Officer for Transnational Threats, National Intelligence Council

Paul Cruickshank, Kristina Hummel, Don Rassler

July 20, 2018

Islamic State & Predecessor Groups

Major Reports

Cash Camps: Financing Detainee Activities in Al-Hol and Roj Camps

Structure of a State: Captured Documents and the Islamic State’s Organizational Structure

The Cloud Caliphate: Archiving the Islamic State in Real-Time

Rising in the East: The Evolution of the Islamic State in the Philippines

Sentinel Articles

A View from the CT Foxhole: David Caulfield, Former Chief, Defense Combating Terrorism Center, Defense Intelligence Agency

Examining Digital Currency Usage by Terrorists in Syria

A Prison Attack and the Death of its Leader: Weighing Up the Islamic State’s Trajectory in Syria

A View from the CT Foxhole: Randall Blake, Former National Intelligence Officer for Transnational Threats, National Intelligence Council

Perspectives

Burying the Lede: The Islamic State Downsizes?

An Idea or a Threat? Islamic State Jammu & Kashmir

The Islamic State’s Internal Rifts and Social Media Ban

The Islamic State’s Drone Documents: Management, Acquisitions, and DIY Tradecraft

Primary Sources

Islamic State memo for dealing with new recruits

Islamic State military organizational chart, undated

List of Geographic Identifiers for IS Identification Numbers

Al-Mawla TIR – July 2, 2008

Media Coverage

New report by CTC examines propaganda output by Islamic State

New CTC Perspectives examines changes to Islamic State’s structure

CTC Director of Research published in Conflict Management journal

CTC Director and Senior Fellow quoted in Cipher Brief article

Other Commentary

CTC releases third ‘Beyond the Caliphate’ report

American national security policy needs to get ready for ISIS 2.0

CTC publishes analysis on Islamic State ban on social media

CTC releases second Beyond the Caliphate report

Briefings, Events, & Visits

LTG Michael Nagata visits CTC

GEN Nicholson visits CTC

CTC briefs the Command and General Staff College

USSOCOM Commander GEN Thomas visits CTC

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