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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

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Commentary
After Attacks in France, Tunisia, and Kuwait, West Must Do More to Fight Surge of Terrorist Attacks
The bloody terrorist attacks that left more than 50 people dead in France, Tunisia, and Kuwait are just the latest warnings that ISIS is turning its deadly campaign into a global enterprise. Stopping it will require an equally broad-based campaign.
Jun 29, 2015
Testimony
An Assessment of the Counter-ISIL Campaign: One Year After Mosul
ISIL's continuing strength demonstrates that adjustments to the current U.S. approach to counter it are necessary. The best strategy is to defeat and destroy ISIL through a partnered approach. But partnering with the Iraqi government presents a difficult challenge.
Jun 24, 2015
Commentary
The Enemy You Know and the Ally You Don't
Arming Iraq's Sunni militias to fight the Islamic State may seem like a quick fix, but newly declassified documents suggest it might only add fuel to the fire.
Jun 23, 2015
Commentary
Tunisia in the Crosshairs
The open-ended nature of the Islamic State group's threat against Tunisair suggests that it intends to target Tunisia for the long haul. The United States should counter the threats with steadfast and sustained cooperation and assistance.
Jun 22, 2015
Commentary
Expanding the Caliphate
ISIS in South Asia, which it calls the Islamic State of Khorasan, is larger than most recognize, boasting between several hundred and several thousand fighters. But for now, it is closer to a loose affiliate than a direct arm of the organization.
Jun 12, 2015
Commentary
Islamic State's Global Expansion
The radical Islamist group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, is now expanding in roughly a dozen countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia by exploiting local grievances, doling out money, and leveraging its battlefield successes.
Jun 4, 2015
Multimedia
RAND Experts Discuss Iran’s Role in Iraq: Room for Cooperation
Alireza Nader, senior international policy analyst with the RAND Corporation, discusses his study, “Iran's Role in Iraq: Room for Cooperation?” with Khorshied Samad, RAND senior media relations officer and Lisa Sodders, RAND media relations officer.
Jun 2, 2015
Report
Could U.S.-Iran Cooperation Help Combat ISIL?
Limited tactical cooperation between the United States and Iran may be possible in weakening ISIL even if the two nations don't share long-term interests. U.S. and Iranian military forces are fighting the same enemy in Iraq, and U.S. air power seems to complement Iran's on-the-ground presence.
Jun 1, 2015
Commentary
Iraq Is Bankrolling ISIL
Iraq continues to fund ISIL by continuing salaries to the many Iraqi government employees who live in ISIL-controlled territory. That fact is a reminder of how poorly the country has been governed.
May 26, 2015
Commentary
Who Runs the Islamic State Group?
Despite the Islamic State's notoriety, a wide range of theories are still circulating about who really runs the group.
May 22, 2015
Commentary
Has Islamic State Entered Afghanistan?
The bulk of the Islamic State of Khorasan is thought to be in Pakistan, but the group is trying to make inroads into Afghanistan. That said, the group's actual ability to operate in Afghanistan appears rather limited.
May 4, 2015
Commentary
Seduced by a Strongman?
It is not true that domestic politics can be quarantined from foreign policy. In fact, Egypt's domestic and foreign policies are becoming more entangled by the day. And that bleed-over should raise concerns.
Apr 30, 2015
Multimedia
Is Bipartisan National Security Policy Possible in Today's Political Environment?
Should the United States make a nuclear deal with Iran? What threat do cyber attacks pose to our nation? Should there be intelligence reform? In this Events @ RAND podcast, Mike Rogers speaks to these and other timely national security issues.
Apr 21, 2015
Testimony
There Will Be Battles in the Heart of Your Abode: The Threat Posed by Foreign Fighters Returning From Syria and Iraq: Addendum
Document submitted on April 17, 2015 as an addendum to testimony presented before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on March 12, 2015.
Apr 17, 2015
Commentary
Syria and Iraq: Inside the Terrorist Factory
As the civil wars in Syria and Iraq continue, they sharpen the sectarian divide between Sunnis and Shias, threatening the stability of the region and attracting a steady flow of foreign volunteers, effectively turning Syria and Iraq into a terrorist factory.
Mar 30, 2015
Testimony
The Continuing Lure of Violent Jihad
As the civil wars in Syria and Iraq continue, so does the terrorist threat emanating from these conflicts. Two galaxies of jihadist terrorists in the region pose a credible danger to the U.S. homeland: al Qaeda and its affiliates and ISIL. But the most likely threat comes from homegrown terrorists.
Mar 24, 2015
Commentary
The Allure of ISIS for Young Recruits
Poverty and oppression may explain why people in some countries embrace violent extremism, but it does not account for the flow of Western volunteers or the dreamy allure of fighting for a faraway cause. Biographies of those who have reached out to participate in jihad suggest a variety of motives, including alienation, personal crises, dissatisfaction with empty spiritual lives, and adolescent rebellion.
Mar 20, 2015
Commentary
Means Matter: Competent Ground Forces and the Fight Against ISIL
If Iraqi security forces are incapable of defeating ISIL in the cities where they have gone to ground, then the only reliable means available are U.S. ground combat forces. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps have all the skills in joint combined arms warfare that the ISF lacks.
Mar 19, 2015
Testimony
Containing Middle East Terror: Measures to Reduce the Threat Posed By Foreign Fighters Returning from Syria and Iraq
Testimony presented before the House Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security on March 17, 2015.
Mar 17, 2015
Testimony
The Threat Posed by Foreign Fighters Returning from Syria and Iraq
An estimated 3,400 foreign fighters have come from Europe and other Western countries to join jihadist fronts in Syria and Iraq. What is the threat posed by these Western fighters? And how can the U.S. better identify and intercept returning foreign fighters from countries covered by the Visa Waiver Program?
Mar 12, 2015

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RAND Topic:
The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

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.
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.

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