ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the ideological and strategic influences that shape the insurgent-terror movement known as the Islamic State (IS). Synthesizing sectarian, Wahhabi, and medieval apocalyptic traditions within a modern jihadist framework, the Islamic State created a totalitarian vision that motivated tens of thousands of religious extremists to join its insurgent-terror movement. Within this powerful ideological framework, IS proclaimed its “caliphate” in 2013 whose brutal governance encountered violent regional and international opposition. Though the Islamic State was unable to sustain its jihadi state, which crumbled before a sustained military campaign by the international community, it remains a resilient insurgent-terror movement that is far from being defeated.
