ISIS_Governance

NOTES
1. This paper will use the acronym “ISIS” to represent the group
now calling itself the Islamic State (IS) because the events discussed
in the paper occurred before the announced name change.
2. Charlie Caris, “The Islamic State Announces Caliphate,”
Institute for the Study of War, June 30, 2014, http://iswsyria.
blogspot.com/2014/06/the-islamic-state-announces-caliphate.
html.
3. Harleen Gambhir, “Dabiq,” Institute for the Study of War,
Forthcoming July 2014, http://www.understandingwar.org;
Jessica D. Lewis, “A Counterstrategy for a Counterstate,” Institute
for the Study of War, Forthcoming July 2014, http://www.
understandingwar.org/.
4. Henceforth, this paper will use the spelling “Raqqa” for
simplicity.
5. “al-Ḥayat Media Center presents a new issue of the Islamic State’s
magazine: ‘Dabiq #1’,” Jihadology, July 5, 2014, http://jihadology.
net/2014/07/05/al-%E1%B8%A5ayat-media-center-presents-anew-issue-of-the-islamic-states-magazine-dabiq-1/.
6. “al-Ḥayat Media Center presents a new issue of the Islamic State’s
magazine: ‘Dabiq #1’,” Jihadology, July 5, 2014, http://jihadology.
net/2014/07/05/al-%E1%B8%A5ayat-media-center-presents-anew-issue-of-the-islamic-states-magazine-dabiq-1/.
7. “ISI Leader Rebrands ISIS and al-Nusra Front as ‘Islamic State
in Iraq and the Levant’,” SITE Intelligence Group. April 9, 2013,
http://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Multimedia/isi-leader-releasesnew-audio-speech.html.
9. Due to the volatile nature of ISIS Twitter accounts and the
frequency with which ISIS social media outlets are shut down, much
of the information and images originally hosted by ISIS is no longer
available in its original form. Where possible, ISW has preserved
the original images and re-hosted them to make them available for
this report.
10. Rania Abouzeid, “The Jihad Next Door,” Politico Magazine,
June 23, 2014, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/
al-qaeda-iraq-syria-108214.html#.U7VjpfldWgZ.
11. “Zawahiri Reiterates Demand to ISIL to Return to Iraq, Answers
Ideologues’ Questions,” SITE Intelligence Group, May 24, 2014,
8. “al-Ḥayat Media Center presents a new video message from the
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham: ‘The End of Sykes-Picot’,”
Jihadology, June 29, 2014, http://jihadology.net/2014/06/29/al-
%E1%B8%A5ayat-media-center-presents-a-new-video-messagefrom-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-al-sham-the-end-of-sykespicot/.
http://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/zawahiri-reiteratesdemand-to-isil-to-return-to-iraq-answers-ideologues-questions.
html.
12. Liz Sly, “Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with radical Islamist
ISIS group in Syria, Iraq.” Washington Post, February 3, 2014,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaedadisavows-any-ties-with-radical-islamist-isis-group-in-syriairaq/2014/02/03/2c9afc3a-8cef-11e3-98ab-fe5228217bd1_story.
html; Aaron Y. Zelin, “Al-Qaeda Disaffiliates with the Islamic State
of Iraq and al-Sham,” The Washington Institute , February 4, 2014,
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/al-qaedadisaffiliates-with-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-al-sham.
13. Joseph Holliday, “The Opposition Takewover in al-Raqqa,”
Institute for the Study of War, March 15, 2013, http://www.
understandingwar.org/backgrounder/opposition-takeover-alraqqa.
14. Aymenn Al-Tamimi, “Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State
of Iraq and ash-Sham: Raqqah Governorate,” Jihadology, June
4, 2013, http://www.aymennjawad.org/13388/jabhat-al-nusra-
Raqqah-governorate. [NOTE: A recent Business Insider article
has challenged the credibility of this author based on reported
conversations he had with opposition members on social media.
Despite this, nothing has led us to doubt the accuracy of his
research. The article is available here: http://www.businessinsider.
com/tamimi-2014-7.]
15. Pieter Van Ostaeyen, “The ar-Raqqa executions ~ Confirmation
of the Islamic State in Iraq and as-Sham,” pietervanostaeyen
Blog, May 15, 2013, http://pietervanostaeyen.wordpress.
com/2013/05/15/the-ar-raqqa-executions-confirmation-of-theislamic-state-in-iraq-and-as-sham/.
16. Wa’il Essam, [Causes for the unexpected fall of ar-Raqqa at the
hands of the Islamic State… the relationship between Jabhat al-
Nusra and ‘Daesh’ in the city … from a solid alliance to a relentless
war], al-Quds al-Arabi, January 30, 2014, http://www.alquds.
co.uk/?p=128801.
17. Wa’il Essam, [Causes for the unexpected fall of ar-Raqqa at the
hands of the Islamic State… the relationship between Jabhat al-
Nusra and ‘Daesh’ in the city … from a solid alliance to a relentless
war], al-Quds al-Arabi, January 30, 2014, http://www.alquds.
co.uk/?p=128801.
18. Firas al-Hakkar, “The Mysterious Fall of Raqqa, Syria’s
Kandahar,” al-Akhbar, Novermber 8, 2013, http://english.alakhbar.com/node/17550;
“Syria: Islamist infighting sweeps Raqqa,”
Asharq al-Awsat, August 15, 2013, http://www.aawsat.net/2013/08/
article55313705.
31 www.Understandingwar.org