29 JUN--This Day in US Military History

2015-06-29T08:44:51-04:00

2014 – The establishment of a new caliphate was announced, with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi named as its caliph, and the group formally changed its name to the “Islamic State.”

IS’s ideology originates in the branch of modern Islam that aims to return to the early days of Islam, rejecting later “innovations” in the religion which it believes corrupt its original spirit. It condemns later caliphates and the Ottoman empire for deviating from what it calls pure Islam and hence has been attempting to establish its own caliphate.
From its beginnings the establishment of a pure Islamic state has been one of the group’s main goals. According to journalist Sarah Birke, one of the “significant differences” between Al-Nusra Front and ISIS is that ISIS “tends to be more focused on establishing its own rule on conquered territory”. While both groups share the ambition to build an Islamic state, ISIS is “far more ruthless … carrying out sectarian attacks and imposing sharia law immediately”.
ISIS finally achieved its goal on 29 June 2014, when it removed “Iraq and the Levant” from its name, began to refer to itself as the Islamic State, and declared the territory which it occupied in Iraq and Syria a new caliphate. In mid-2014, the group released a video entitled “The End of Sykes–Picot” featuring an English-speaking Chilean national named Abu Safiyya. The video announced the group’s intention to eliminate all modern borders between Islamic Middle Eastern countries; this was a reference to the borders set by the Sykes–Picot Agreement during World War I.

https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2005/06/29/june-29/

June 29

29 June 1502 - Christopher Columbus arrived at Santo Domingo, Hispaniola, on his 4th voyage to the new world. He requested harbor and advised Gov. Nicolas de Ovando of an approaching hurricane. Ova...

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2015 9:01 AM

2015-06-29T09:01:13-04:00

IS would love to be recognized as a "real" country. It'll never happen.
While Sykes-Picot was an imperfect plan, it did allow for the stabilization of the area after the demise of the Ottoman Empire - who had administered the area for hundreds of years.
It is notable that aside from a nationalist uprising in Iraq, there was very little disorder in the area throughout British/French rule. As soon as they left and the area became self-governing, chaos ensued.
Islamic State is just about the most barbaric regime in my lifetime, with honorable mention to the Khmer Rouge. They want to govern the area they've subjugated, but have no ability to do so beyond kangaroo courts, murdering "undesirables" (they tossed four accused homosexuals off a building ove the weekend to commemorate Pride Day), and making propoganda.
In truth, they are little more than pirates. Trafficking in people - forced "marriages" is a favored technique - pillaging the area of anything of value, sensless killings, and destruction of cultural legacy is what they do with their newfound ascendancy.
They may be ruthless and seem unstoppable at times, but conquerors that behave as IS does do not succeed. Their inability to provide basic services coupled with their brutality will be their undoing. Probably a lot sooner than it looks today.