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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)

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ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), also known as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), is a Sunni jihadist group with a particularly violent ideology that calls itself a caliphate and claims religious authority over all Muslims. It was inspired by al Qaida but later publicly expelled from it. RAND terrorism experts have analyzed the group's financing, management, and organization; its savvy use of social media for recruitment and fundraising; and the instability that spawned the group as a regional problem in the Middle East.

Essay
Civilian Casualties: Lessons from the Battle for Raqqa
The United States' emphasis on minimizing civilian harm in Raqqa, Syria, was quite clear and strong up and down the chain of command. But the way in which the U.S. military waged war in Raqqa too often undercut that commitment. The Pentagon asked RAND to find out what happened.
Jul 1, 2022
Report
Implications of the Pandemic for Terrorist Interest in Biological Weapons
Some policymakers and analysts have expressed concern that weaknesses in responses to the COVID-19 pandemic will motivate terrorists to seek biological weapons. While the prospect of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda pursuing biological weapons is not zero, it is unlikely, given the difficulties involved and the availability of simpler alternatives.
May 31, 2022

Explore The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)

Commentary
The French Way of War
There is a French way of warfare that reflects the French military's lack of resources and its modest sense of what it can achieve. They specialize in carefully apportioned and usually small but lethal operations, often behind the scenes.
Nov 17, 2015
Commentary
Why the Paris Terrorists Couldn't Be Stopped
Terrorists almost always have the advantage. Theoretically, they can attack anything, anywhere, anytime. And governments cannot protect everything, everywhere, all the time.
Nov 16, 2015
Commentary
Time to Prepare for the Unthinkable
Given ISIS's strategy, it seems only a matter of time before these extremists might attempt an attack in the United States. The irony is that the very rights that Americans hold so dear — liberty, privacy, freedom — place it at greater risk. So what should America do to prepare?
Nov 16, 2015
Commentary
Big Questions Facing France
In Paris, the heavily armed terrorists reportedly struck at six locations, including restaurants, a football stadium, and a theater during a rock concert. It seems clear the killers must have had some confederates. That would mean some terrorists are still at large.
Nov 14, 2015
Commentary
Passing Judgment on Russian Plane Crash Before the Facts Are In
A bright flash and catastrophic event suggest an explosion, but do not necessarily exclude the possibility of a mechanical failure. This would not, in fact, be the first time evidence pointed to a terrorist attack when none existed.
Nov 12, 2015
Commentary
Could the Russian Jet Crash in Egypt Prompt a Change of Direction for Putin and Russia?
If ISIS was responsible for the downing of Metrojet Flight 9268, a Russian passenger jet, this may alter the strategic equation for Moscow.
Nov 9, 2015
Commentary
Partition Syria to Crush the Islamic State
The Islamic State will never join in any settlement. Peace in Syria therefore requires that everyone else stop fighting each other and join in suppressing the Islamic State.
Nov 1, 2015
Q&A
A No-Fly Zone Over Syria: Q&A with Karl Mueller
Some are advocating a no-fly zone in Syria to protect civilians from both ISIS and forces loyal to Assad. What constraints complicate establishing a no-fly zone and realizing its expected benefits? And how might Assad supporters, such as Russia, respond?
Oct 15, 2015
Commentary
What Is Putin Really Up to in Syria?
Russia wants to be sure that it's not ignored if and when the West succeeds in implementing a broader, more effective solution to the Syria-Iraq-ISIL problem. This is a task far beyond Russia's capabilities, but one that America, the West, and regional powers may be able to accomplish.
Oct 2, 2015
News Release
Coalition Against the Islamic State Must Degrade the Group's Finances and Leadership
Even before 2012, much was known about how the Islamic State financed and organized itself, established territorial control, and responded to airpower. That knowledge offers new insights into the group's weaknesses and guidance for combating it.
Sep 28, 2015
Report
Coalition Against the Islamic State Must Degrade the Group's Finances and Leadership
Even before 2012, much was known about how the Islamic State financed and organized itself, established territorial control, and responded to airpower. That knowledge offers new insights into the group's weaknesses and guidance for combating it.
Sep 28, 2015
Commentary
Any Review of Syria and Iraq Strategy Needs Realistic Reappraisal
Since the American-led coalition bombing campaign began a year ago, ISIS has suffered some military setbacks and lost territory, but it also has been able to capture several more key cities in Iraq and Syria, and, despite the bombing, continues to attract a large number of foreign fighters.
Sep 28, 2015
News Release
U.S. Faces Gap Between Objectives and Reality in Syria and Iraq
There is a substantial gap between American national objectives and a realistic appreciation of the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq. These objectives need to be based on frank appraisals of the situation, even if those assessments defy Americans' sense of progress.
Sep 24, 2015
Report
The United States Faces a Gap Between Objectives and Reality in Syria and Iraq
There is a large gap between U.S. objectives and a realistic appreciation of the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Frank appraisals of the situation in the region must inform U.S. objectives, even if such assessments defy Americans' sense of progress.
Sep 24, 2015
Commentary
Vietnam Teaches Us That Iraq Needs More Than U.S. Combat Advisers
There are issues that must be examined, understood, and planned for if the United States does not wish to have U.S. advisers left to the cruelties of the Islamic State.
Sep 14, 2015
Commentary
ISIS Plus Chemical Weapons Does Not Equal Apocalypse
The renewed use of chemical weapons on the battlefields of Iraq and Syria is a dangerous regional phenomenon, not an imminent global threat.
Sep 11, 2015
Testimony
An Assessment of the Counter-ISIL Campaign: One Year after Mosul: Addendum
Document submitted August 24, 2015 as an addendum to testimony presented before the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities on June 24, 2015.
Aug 27, 2015
Commentary
Afghanistan, Choose Your Enemies Wisely
The Taliban's new leadership may be the last decent opportunity for a political solution to the conflict. Without a solution, the Islamic State could make Afghanistan the next Iraq or Syria.
Aug 24, 2015
Commentary
Training Foreign Military Forces: Quality vs Quantity
The American model for large-scale development of partner nation armies is failing. The push for numbers and the attendant dilution of training is at odds with building a cohesive army with the will to stand and fight, predicated upon an unproven assumption that a “large footprint” is itself a decisive strategy.
Jul 15, 2015
Commentary
An Authorization for the Fight Against the Islamic State
The U.S. military is conducting some 2,000 airstrikes a month against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria but progress is slow and the terrorist group has expanded far beyond those two countries. Congress needs now more than ever to take up the issue of authorizing the use of military force.
Jul 9, 2015

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RAND Topic:
The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Ian Mitch

Senior Policy Analyst

Ian Mitch is a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, where his research focuses on terrorism, transnational criminal networks, cybersecurity, and homeland security issues.
Ashley L. Rhoades

Defense Policy Researcher

Ashley Rhoades is a defense policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. At RAND, her work focuses on strategic competition, security cooperation, deterrence, terrorism and counterterrorism (with an emphasis on al Qaeda and the Islamic State), and European and Middle Eastern security issues.

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