If you are like most readers, you have heard the name "ISIS" enough to associate it with terror and threat. But what is it really? And is it something to worry about?
ISIS is a terrorist group that branched from al Qaeda. It consists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, hence the four-letter acronym. It terrorizes large parts of Syria and Iraq and, even more concerning to us, has become the target of the largest U.S. military project in Iraq in years.
So where exactly did ISIS come from? It specifically came from the Iraq faction of al Qaeda, AQI. This faction was weakened in 2007 during the Sunni Awakening. Because of this weakening, AQI leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi moved them into Syria as a way to gain back power. Once the move occurred, AQI's name was changed to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The CIA estimates that ISIS consists of 30,000 fighters, over half of whom are foreign fighters who left their homes to join this terror group.
Now, onto what most people are wondering: what does this mean for the U.S.? As of now, ISIS is primarily executing its power in the surrounding areas of Iraq and Syria, though they have made threats to the U.S. - specifically with the murder of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.
Even worse, it was recently discovered that ISIS may not be completely alone. In other words, ISIS has friends. An ISIS-associated group from Algeria released a video of the beheading of an abducted Frenchman who was visiting Algeria at the time. He is the third captive to be beheaded on video by ISIS.
Earlier this month, President Obama spoke at the UN about his "End ISIS" coalition that would involve more than just airstrikes. "No just God would stand for what they did yesterday and what they do every single day," Obama said.
With all the news outlets sharing different stories every day, what you really need to know is this: as of now, ISIS still poses a serious threat. Think of them as you did al Qaeda, only more connected and continuously getting stronger.
