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Speech Excerpt: Obama on ISIS Strategy

Speech Excerpt: Obama on ISIS Strategy

The president said the United States would lead a coalition against ISIS and laid out the four parts of the strategy.

Publish Date September 10, 2014. Image CreditPool photo by Saul Loeb
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WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday authorized a major expansion of the military campaign against rampaging Sunni militants in the Middle East, including American airstrikes in Syria and the deployment of 475 more military advisers to Iraq. But he sought to dispel fears that the United States was embarking on a repeat of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a speech to the nation from the State Floor of the White House, Mr. Obama said the United States was recruiting a global coalition to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the militants, known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. He warned that “eradicating a cancer” like ISIS was a long-term challenge that would put some American troops at risk.

“We will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are,” Mr. Obama declared in a 14-minute address. “That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq,” he added, using an alternative name for ISIS. “This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.”

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ISIS’ Goals and Tactics Worldwide

ISIS’ Goals and Tactics Worldwide

Some background on goals, tactics and the potential long-term threat to the United States from the militant group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Video Credit By Natalia V. Osipova and Christian Roman on Publish Date September 10, 2014. Image CreditReuters

The president drew a distinction between the military action he was ordering and the two wars begun by his predecessor, George W. Bush. He likened this campaign to the selective airstrikes that the United States has carried out for years against suspected terrorists in Yemen and Somalia, few of which have been made public.

After enduring harsh criticism for saying two weeks ago that he did not have a strategy for dealing with ISIS in Syria, Mr. Obama outlined a plan that will bolster American training and arming of moderate Syrian rebels to fight the militants. Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide a base for the training of those forces.

Mr. Obama called on Congress to authorize the plan to train and equip the rebels — something the Central Intelligence Agency has been doing covertly and on a much smaller scale — but he asserted his authority as commander in chief to expand the overall campaign, which will bring the number of American troops in Iraq to 1,600.

“These American forces will not have a combat mission; we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq,” Mr. Obama pledged, adding that the mission “will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; it will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil.”

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Other U.S. Airstrike Campaigns

President Obama said that military strategy against ISIS will resemble U.S. efforts in Somalia and Yemen, where airstrikes and other operations have been reported since 2002. The scale of U.S. airstrike operations in Pakistan was much larger, though it has tapered in recent years.

Estimated U.S. airstrikes by year

Somalia

3

2

1

1

1

1

2

Yemen

1

2

4

10

41

26

16

Pakistan

1

2

3

5

35

53

117

64

46

28

7

’02

’03

’04

’05

’06

’07

’08

’09

’10

’11

’12

’13

’14

Estimated U.S. airstrikes by year

Pakistan

Yemen

Somalia

2002

1

2003

2004

1

2005

2

2006

3

3

2007

5

2

35

2008

53

2

1

2009

117

2010

4

64

10

1

2011

46

41

1

2012

28

26

1

2013

2014

16

7

2

For all of Mr. Obama’s efforts to reassure the public, his remarks were a stark acknowledgment of the threat posed by the militants, whose lightning advance through Iraq and Syria and videotaped beheading of two American journalists have reignited fears of radical Islamic terrorism.

There is no evidence that ISIS is plotting an attack on the United States, Mr. Obama said. But he added, “If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat” to Americans because of foreign fighters, including some from the United States, who have traveled to Syria and Iraq and who could return home to carry out attacks.

Standing just outside the Blue Room, steps from where he announced the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011, Mr. Obama delivered a message that seemed worlds away from his confident assertions that the United States had decimated Al Qaeda. The United States, he said, was locked in a long battle with a successor to Al Qaeda, “unique in their brutality.”

The president’s remarks, on the eve of the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, will thrust the United States into a civil war in Syria that he had long sought to avoid, and will return a significant American military presence to Iraq, not quite three years after the last American troops withdrew.

Photo
President Obama telephoned King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to request Saudi support in training and equipping Syrian rebels opposed to ISIS. Credit Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Unlike Mr. Bush in the Iraq war, Mr. Obama has sought to surround the United States with partners. Earlier on Wednesday, he called King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to enlist his support for the plan to step up training of the Syrian rebels.

Mr. Obama is acting as polls show rapidly shifting public opinion, with a large majority of Americans now favoring military action against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, even as they express deep misgivings about the president’s leadership,

Mr. Obama is also facing difficult crosscurrents on Capitol Hill, where Republican lawmakers, initially reluctant to demand congressional authorization of military action, have begun agitating for a vote, even as some Democrats warn of a stampede to war.

On Wednesday, Senate Democratic leaders prepared legislation on the narrow issue of authorizing the American military to train the Syrian rebels. House Republicans appeared ready to follow their lead.

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The Iraq-ISIS Conflict in Maps, Photos and Video

A visual guide to the crisis in Iraq and Syria.

Areas Under ISIS Control

Updated September 9

Having occupied crucial sections of Syria over the past year and more recently seizing vast areas of Iraq, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria controls territory greater than many countries and now rivals Al Qaeda as the world’s most powerful jihadist group. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Sources: Caerus Associates, Long War Journal, Institute for the Study of War


ISIS-controlled
places

Areas under
full control

Areas of
recurring attacks

Sparsely populated
areas

ISIS-controlled places

Areas under full control

Areas of recurring attacks

Sparsely populated areas

Sources: Caerus Associates, Long War Journal, Institute for the Study of War

Strikes in Northern Iraq

Published August 19

American fighter jets and drones attacked 68 targets in northern Iraq in the first week and a half of airstrikes, according to the U.S. Central Command. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Note: Strikes were not reported comprehensively day by day, so some may be missing from daily tallies.

Strikes Reported

Each Day

Area of

detail

AugUST 8

IRAQ

Baghdad

KURDISH

AUTONOMOUS

REGION

Mosul Dam

AUGUST 18

0

15

Mosul

Mount Sinjar

Erbil

Iraq

Kirkuk

Near Mount Sinjar

At least 13 strikes

Near Mosul Dam

At least 35 Strikes

Near Erbil

At least 20 Strikes

Strikes Reported Each Day

15

0

AUG. 18

Aug. 8

Area of detail

Baghdad

KURDISH

AUTONOMOUS

REGION

Mosul Dam

Mosul

Mount Sinjar

Erbil

Iraq

Near Mount Sinjar

At least 13 strikes

Near Erbil

At least 20 Strikes

Near Mosul Dam

At least 35 Strikes

Mount Sinjar

Thousands of Yazidi refugees were trapped on the mountain after fleeing Islamist fighters. Targets included:

3 armed vehicles5 personnel carriers1 armored vehicle1 Humvee3 trucks1 mortar position4 checkpoints

Mosul Dam

American strikes allowed Kurdish fighters to regain the dam, which they lost two weeks ago. Targets included:

19 armed vehicles7 Humvees2 antiaircraft guns1 armored vehicle9 fighting positions3 checkpoints2 I.E.D.s2 personnel carriers

Erbil

Strikes in this area helped repel militants approaching the regional capital. Targets included:

7 armed vehicles1 mobile artillery7 vehicles2 mortar positions1 mine-resistant vehicle

Note: Strikes were not reported comprehensively day by day, so some may be missing from daily tallies.

A Closer Look At Mount Sinjar

Updated August 15

Tens of thousands of Yazidis, a religious minority group in Iraq, were trapped on Mount Sinjar, besieged by ISIS militants who captured their towns at the foot of the mountain range in early August. Satellite imagery taken Aug. 7 indicates that many of the displaced fled ISIS by driving vehicles up the mountain, where some encountered road blocks and abandoned their cars. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Source: Vehicle locations from satellite imagery by DigitalGlobe via Amnesty International

SYRIA

IRAQ

NORTH

Red dots are vehicles visible in satellite imagery

About 13 miles

TO BORDER

Sinuni

ROADBLOCKS

Kursi

ABOUT 70 MILES

TO MOSUL

25 miles

 

Bara

Sinjar

Jaddala

Sinjar Mountains

Elevation 4,449 ft.

Area

visible

Area of

assessed

satellite

imagery

Mosul

IRAQ

Baghdad

ABOUT 250 MILES TO BAGHDAD

Area of assessed

satellite imagery

SYRIA

IRAQ

Sinjar

Red indicates

vehicles on mountain

Sinjar Mountains

Elevation 4,449 ft.

Source: Vehicle locations from satellite imagery by DigitalGlobe via Amnesty International

Iraqis Driven From Their Homes by ISIS

Published August 14

The United Nations estimates that militants with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria have forced nearly 180,000 families — or more than a million people — from their homes in Iraq. The exodus roughly breaks down into three phases. Related Maps and Multimedia »

Note: The United Nations estimates one Iraqi family is equal to six individuals. Source: IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix

January 1 to May 31

Over 151 days, families, on average, were displaced daily.

Anbar Province
321,210 families
known displaced

Months before it became something of a household name, ISIS took control of much of Anbar Province, displacing an estimated 500,000 Iraqis.

June 1 to July 31

Over 61 days, families, on average, were displaced daily.

Anbar Province
321,210 families
known displaced

Another half-million Iraqis were displaced in June and July when ISIS captured Mosul and advanced south toward Baghdad.

August 1 to August 6

Over 6 days, families, on average, were displaced daily.

Anbar Province
321,210 families
known displaced

In early August, ISIS seized several towns under Kurdish control, displacing Yazidis, Christians and other religious minority groups. Although the United Nations says that the capture of Sinjar may have displaced as many as 33,000 families, that number is not yet included in the official data.

Note: The United Nations estimates one Iraqi family is equal to six individuals. Source: IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix

U.S. Strikes Militants Near Erbil

Published August 8

American jets attacked mobile artillery vehicles that had been shelling Kurdish targets in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region. The city has boomed since the American-led invasion of Iraq. It is home to a growing expatriate community of investment consultants and oil executives, as well as to an American consulate. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Sources: American and Kurdish officials

Mosul

Islamist militants have controlled Iraq's second-largest city since June 10.

Mosul Dam

Captured by

militants on

Thursday.

ABOUT 150 MILES

TO BAGHDAD

Iraq

Mahmour

Bombed by American

jets on Friday.

Gwer

Bombed on Thursday.

About 40

miles TO

ERBIL

About 35

miles TO

ERBIL

 

Kalak

Historic citadel

of Erbil

United States Consulate

is in this neighborhood

Chammah

ERBIL

AIRPORT

Area

visible

Erbil

Erbil

Kurdish capital

IRAQ

Baghdad

NORTH

Mahmour

Bombed by

American jets

on Friday.

Gwer

Bombed on

Thursday.

Mosul

Islamist militants have

controlled Iraq's second-largest

city since June 10.

Mosul Dam

Captured by militants

on Thursday.

Iraq

About 40 miles

TO ERBIL

About 35 miles

TO ERBIL

 

Historic citadel

of Erbil

United States Consulate

is in this neighborhood

Area

visible

Erbil

Kurdish capital

Erbil

IRAQ

Baghdad

NORTH

Mahmour

Bombed by American

jets on Friday.

Mosul Dam

Captured by militants

on Thursday.

Gwer

Bombed on

Thursday.

Mosul

About 40 miles TO ERBIL

Erbil

Kurdish

capital

Iraq

NORTH

Sources: American and Kurdish officials

Iraq’s Tangle of Insurgent Groups

Published July 12

Though ISIS has grown to be the most powerful militant group in Iraq, its foothold in the country relies on negotiating a shifting tangle of smaller groups and alliances. This is a snapshot of the active militant groups in provinces north and west of Baghdad, based on information from the Pentagon and other U.S. officials and reporting by Times journalists in Iraq. Related article »

Related Maps and Multimedia »

Click group names for more details.

Naqshbandia Order/J.R.T.N. »

Baathist
Active in: Diyala, Salahuddin
ISIS relationship: Fighting
Established in 2007, the group's reputed leader was a high-ranking deputy in Saddam Hussein's regime. The group is believed to have initially assisted ISIS in its push south from Mosul.

1920 Revolution Brigades »

Baathist
Active in: Diyala, Anbar
ISIS relationship: Fighting in some areas
Formed by disaffected Iraqi Army officers who were left without jobs after the Americans dissolved the military in 2003.

Islamic Army of Iraq »

Salafist
Active in: Diyala, Salahuddin, Anbar
ISIS relationship: Periodic fighting
ISIS has targeted family members of the leadership of this group, which has long had a presence in Diyala and has been involved in past sectarian battles.

Mujahedeen Army »

Salafist
Active in: Diyala, Salahuddin, Anbar
ISIS relationship: Truce
A nationalist Islamist group that advocates overthrowing the Iraqi government.

Khata'ib al-Mustapha »

Salafist
Active in: Diyala
ISIS relationship: Truce
Islamic militants who fight against the government.

Army of Muhammad »

Salafist
Active in: Anbar
ISIS relationship: Allies
Islamic militants who fight against the government.

Khata'ib Tawrat al-Ashreen »

Anti-government Sunni Tribe
Active in: Diyala, Salahuddin
ISIS relationship: Truce
Sunni tribes opposed to the Iraqi government.

Ansar al-Islam/Ansar al-Sunna »

Islamist Jihadist
Active in: Diyala
ISIS relationship: Fighting
An Al Qaeda-affiliated group that has led a number of deadly attacks in Iraq over the years.

Opportunity and Hazard for Iraq’s Kurds

Published July 10

In northern Iraq, Kurds control a semiautonomous region that is more economically secure because of access to oil, and relatively stable because of a well-trained military force known as the pesh merga.

Recent gains by militants in Iraq prompted the pesh merga to take control of towns (), including the oil-rich area around Kirkuk. The regional government hopes to hold a referendum on independence soon, but faces pressure from the United States and other countries to remain a part of Iraq.
Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Sources: Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project, Caerus Associates, Long War Journal, Institute for the Study of War

Turkey

PREDOMINANTLY

KURDISH AREAS

Iran

Al Kasik

military base

Rabia

Aleppo

Mosul

Sinjar

Kirkuk

Syria

Tuz

Khurmatu

Leb.

Khanaqin

Kurdish autonomous region

Damascus

Baghdad

Iraq

JORDAN

Amman

Najaf

Turkey

PREDOMINANTLY

KURDISH AREAS

Iran

Al Kasik

military base

Rabia

Sinjar

Mosul

Syria

Kirkuk

Tuz

Khurmatu

Khanaqin

Kurdish autonomous region

Baghdad

Iraq

Najaf

Sources: Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project, Caerus Associates, Long War Journal, Institute for the Study of War

Refugees From Two Countries in Turmoil

Published June 29

More than a million Iraqis have been displaced this year, according to new estimates by the United Nations, worsening a regional refugee crisis stemming from Syria’s civil war. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Source: United Nations

turkey

Syrian RefugeesMost of the Syrians who have been displaced have fled to Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Nearly all of those fleeing to Iraq have gone to the Kurdish autonomous region.

iran

Mosul

Raqqa

Erbil

Aleppo

Kurdish

autonomous

region

Kirkuk

syria

lebanon

Damascus

Thousands of

refugees at

destination

Baghdad

iraq

ISRAEL

jordan

10

100

Saudi Arabia

turkey

iran

Displaced IraqisThe rapid advance of Sunni militants from Mosul toward Baghdad displaced an estimated 500,000 Iraqis in recent weeks, adding to the hundreds of thousands displaced earlier this year. Many have gone to the already crowded camps in the Kurdish autonomous region.

Mosul

Raqqa

Erbil

Aleppo

Kirkuk

syria

leb.

Damascus

iraq

Baghdad

jordan

Amman

ISRAEL

Saudi Arabia

THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES

AT DESTINATION

10

100

Mosul

Aleppo

syria

Kurdish

autonomous

region

Leb.

Damascus

Baghdad

iraq

jordan

Syrian RefugeesMost of the Syrians who have been displaced have fled to Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Nearly all of those fleeing to Iraq have gone to the Kurdish autonomous region.

turkey

Mosul

Erbil

Aleppo

Kirkuk

syria

leb.

Damascus

iraq

Baghdad

jordan

Displaced IraqisThe rapid advance of Sunni militants from Mosul toward Baghdad displaced an estimated 500,000 Iraqis in recent weeks, adding to the hundreds of thousands displaced earlier this year. Many have gone to the already crowded camps in the Kurdish autonomous region.

Source: United Nations

How Syria and Iraq’s Borders Evolved

Published June 26

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is trying to establish its own Sunni state across borders that have their origins in the Ottoman Empire and post World War I diplomacy. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Sources: Rand, McNally & Co. World Atlas (1911 Ottoman Empire map); United Kingdom National Archives (Sykes-Picot); Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project (religious and ethnic map)

  • Ottoman Empire
  • Sykes-Picot Agreement
  • Current Boundaries

Ottoman provincial borders

Current borders

Adana

Turkey

Persia

Aleppo

Aleppo

Nicosia

Mosul

Iran

Zor

Beirut

Syria

Lebanon

Beirut

Lebanon

Damascus

Baghdad

Syria

Iraq

Beirut

Baghdad

Tel Aviv

Amman

Jerusalem

Israel

Basra

Jordan

Jerusalem

Saudi Arabia

Kuwait

Kuwait

Ottoman provincial borders

Current borders

Turkey

Adana

Persia

Aleppo

Aleppo

Mosul

Zor

Iran

Beirut

Syria

Lebanon

Lebanon

Damascus

Baghdad

Syria

Beirut

Baghdad

Iraq

Tel Aviv

Israel

Basra

Jerusalem

Saudi Arabia

Sykes-Picot

Current borders

Turkey

French Control

Aleppo

Independent Arab states

under French influence

Nicosia

Iran

Syria

Lebanon

British

Control

Beirut

Damascus

Iraq

Independent

Arab states under

British influence

International

Zone

Baghdad

Tel Aviv

Amman

British Control

Jerusalem

Israel

Jordan

Saudi Arabia

Kuwait

Kuwait

Sykes-Picot

Current borders

Turkey

French

Control

Independent Arab states

under French influence

Iran

Syria

British

Control

Damascus

Baghdad

Iraq

International

Zone

Independent

Arab states under

British influence

British

Control

Israel

Jordan

Saudi Arabia

Shiite

Sunni

Shiite/Sunni mixed

Other religions

Kurdish

Turkey

Aleppo

Nicosia

Iran

Syria

Lebanon

Beirut

Damascus

Iraq

Baghdad

Tel Aviv

Amman

Jerusalem

Israel

Jordan

Saudi Arabia

Kuwait

Kuwait

Shiite

Sunni

Shiite/Sunni mixed

Other religions

Kurdish

Turkey

Aleppo

Iran

Syria

Lebanon

Damascus

Baghdad

Iraq

Tel Aviv

Israel

Jordan

Saudi Arabia

Ottoman Empire

Before WWI, the Middle East was divided into several administrative provinces under the Ottoman Empire. Modern Iraq is roughly made up of the Ottoman provinces of Mosul, Baghdad, and Basra.

Sykes-Picot Agreement

In 1916, Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot, British and French diplomats, secretly drew the first map to divide up the Ottoman Empire, beginning a series of border negotiations that led to the establishment of British and French mandates in 1920.

Religious and Ethnic Regions Today

Iraq's current boundaries bring together different, often adversarial, groups under one mixed national identity that has been strained by conflict. Still, if Iraq were to split, partition would not be so simple as drawing new borders along religious or ethnic lines.

Sources: Rand, McNally & Co. World Atlas (1911 Ottoman Empire map); United Kingdom National Archives (Sykes-Picot); Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project (religious and ethnic map)

Who Controls the Border Crossings?

Updated July 1

Beginning on June 20 and in a rapid succession, ISIS fighters captured the western border crossings at Qaim, Waleed and Trebil. More recently the Iraqi government claims to have retaken some crossings. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Sources: Caerus Associates, Long War Journal, Institute for the Study of War

Key
Border crossing Crossing controlled by ISIS

TO DAMASCUS

TO ALEPPO

TURKEY

Tanf

Controlled by

Syrian government

SYRIA

Euphrates

River

JORDAN

Yaroubia

Syrian

Kurdish

forces

Karamah

Jordanian

Army

SYRIAN

DESERT

Waleed

Unclear

Trebil

Unclear

Bukamal

ISIS

WESTERN

BORDER

OF IRAQ

Rabia

Iraqi Kurdish

pesh merga

Area of

detail

Qaim

ISIS

SYRIA

iraq

NORTH

IRAQ

JORDAN

30 MILES

TO BAGHDAD

Area of

detail

SYRIA

WESTERN

BORDER

OF IRAQ

IRAQ

JORDAN

Yaroubia

Controlled by

Syrian Kurdish forces

Rabia

Iraqi Kurdish

pesh merga

iraq

SYRIA

Euphrates

River

TO ALEPPO

Bukamal

ISIS

Qaim

ISIS

SYRIAN

DESERT

TO BAGHDAD

Tanf

Syrian

government

Waleed

Unclear

TO

DAMASCUS

Trebil

Unclear

Karamah

Jordanian Army

NORTH

30 MILES

JORDAN

Syria and
Jordan

Karamah

Control Jordanian Army
The Jordanian army has increased security at the crossing, which remains open, but with little traffic.

Tanf

Control Syrian government

Bukamal

ControlISIS
Seized June 25

A local agreement between ISIS and the Nusra Front on June 25 effectively placed Bukamal under ISIS control. By June 30, ISIS had wrested full control of the town and border crossing.

Yaroubia

Control Syrian Kurdish forces
Seized October 2013

This side is controlled by Syrian Kurdish forces affiliated with a party that is engaged in a power struggle with Iraqi Kurdish leaders.

Iraq

Trebil

Control Unclear

ISIS took this crossing on June 22 after Iraqi forces fled, but recent reports of vehicle traffic from Jordan indicate that the crossing may be back the hands of the government.

Waleed

Control Unclear

ISIS took this crossing on June 22. The Iraqi government said that it is back in control of the crossing, but this could not be confirmed.

Qaim

Control ISIS
Seized June 20

ISIS took control of the municipal council, customs office, border crossing and Iraqi police station, increasing its already significant presence on the main route between Baghdad and Aleppo. The Iraqi government said it abandoned the crossing in a strategic move to concentrate forces in Baghdad.

Rabia

Control Iraqi Kurdish pesh merga
Seized June 10

Kurdish pesh merga forces secured this crossing on June 10 immediately following the fall of Mosul.

Sources: Caerus Associates, Long War Journal, Institute for the Study of War

Consequences of Sectarian Violence on Baghdad’s Neighborhoods

Published June 20

Baghdad became highly segregated in the years after the American-led invasion of Iraq. The city’s many mixed neighborhoods hardened into enclaves along religious and ethnic divisions. These maps, based on the work of Michael Izady for Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project, show how the city divided from 2003 to 2009. Related Maps and Multimedia »

Source: Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project

Key
Sunni majority Shiite majority Christian majority Mixed areas

2003

Sadr

City

Kadhimiya

Adhamiya

BAGHDAD

Green Zone

Baghdad

Airport

Tigris River

2 miles

2009

Adhamiya

Huriya

BAGHDAD

Green Zone

Amiriya

Baghdad

Airport

Tigris River

2 miles

2003: Before the Invasion

Before the American invasion, Baghdad’s major sectarian groups lived mostly side by side in mixed neighborhoods. The city’s Shiite and Sunni populations were roughly equal, according to Juan Cole, a University of Michigan professor and Middle East expert.

2009: Violence Fuels Segregation

Sectarian violence exploded in 2006. Families living in areas where another sect was predominant were threatened with violence if they did not move. By 2009 Shiites were a majority, with Sunnis reduced to about 10 percent to 15 percent of the population.

Kadhimiya, a historically Shiite neighborhood, is home to a sacred Shiite shrine.

Adhamiya, a historically Sunni neighborhood, contains the Abu Hanifa Mosque, a Sunni landmark.

• The Green Zone became the heavily fortified center of American operations during the occupation.

Sadr City was the center of the insurgent Mahdi Army, led by the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr.

Huriya was transformed in 2006 when the Mahdi Army pushed out hundreds of families in a brutal spasm of sectarian cleansing.

• More than 8,000 displaced families relocated to Amiriya, the neighborhood where the Sunni Awakening began in Baghdad.

Adhamiya, a Sunni island in Shiite east Baghdad, was walled and restricted along with other neighborhoods in 2007 for security.

• Neighborhoods east of the Tigris River are generally more densely populated than areas to the west.

2003

Sadr

City

Kadhimiya

Adhamiya

BAGHDAD

Green Zone

Baghdad

Airport

Tigris River

2 miles

2003: Before the Invasion

Before the American invasion, Baghdad’s major sectarian groups lived mostly side by side in mixed neighborhoods. The city’s Shiite and Sunni populations were roughly equal, according to Juan Cole, a University of Michigan professor and Middle East expert.

Kadhimiya, a historically Shiite neighborhood, is home to a sacred Shiite shrine.

Adhamiya, a historically Sunni neighborhood, contains the Abu Hanifa Mosque, a Sunni landmark.

• The Green Zone became the heavily fortified center of American operations during the occupation.

Sadr City was the center of the insurgent Mahdi Army, led by the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr.

2009

Adhamiya

Huriya

BAGHDAD

Green Zone

Amiriya

Baghdad

Airport

Tigris River

2 miles

2009: Violence Fuels Segregation

Sectarian violence exploded in 2006. Families living in areas where another sect was predominant were threatened with violence if they did not move. By 2009 Shiites were a majority, with Sunnis reduced to about 10 percent to 15 percent of the population.

Huriya was transformed in 2006 when the Mahdi Army pushed out hundreds of families in a brutal spasm of sectarian cleansing.

• More than 8,000 displaced families relocated to Amiriya, the neighborhood where the Sunni Awakening began in Baghdad.

Adhamiya, a Sunni island in Shiite east Baghdad, was walled and restricted along with other neighborhoods in 2007 for security.

• Neighborhoods east of the Tigris River are generally more densely populated than areas to the west.

Source: Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project

Battle for the Baiji Oil Refinery

Published Jun 19

Witnesses reported that Sunni extremists seized Iraq’s largest oil refinery on June 18 after fighting the Iraqi Army for a week, but officials disputed the reports and the situation remains unclear. Workers were evacuated, and the facility, which provides oil for domestic consumption to 11 Iraqi provinces, including Baghdad, was shut down. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Source: Satellite image by NASA

ABOUT 100

MILES TO

MOSUL

ABOUT 50 MILES

TO KIRKUK

Power

plant

1

Tigris

River

Oil refinery

Employee

dormitories

Village

Employee

village

Village

Smoke plume

at 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday.

Baiji

ABOUT 115 MILES

TO BAGHDAD

1 MILE

1 MILE

Oil refinery

Power

plant

ABOUT 100

MILES TO

MOSUL

Employee

dormitories

Village

Employee

village

Tigris

River

Village

Baiji

Smoke plume

at 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday.

ABOUT 115 MILES

TO BAGHDAD

Source: Satellite image by NASA

Encroaching on Baghdad

Published June 18

Since seizing Mosul on June 10, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has been attacking towns along the main highway heading south, coming closer and closer to the capital. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Sources: Institute for the Study of War, Long War Journal

Key Towns attacked Bomb attacks

ABOUT 140 MILES

TO MOSUL

Miles from

Central Baghdad

ABOUT 80 MILES

TO KIRKUK

Several clashes occurred at the outskirts of Samarra, where Shiite militiamen have been sent to protect the Al-Askari Shrine.

70

Adhaim

June 15

Samarra

JUNE 11, 13, 17

60

Al-Mutasim

JUNE 14

Dhuluiya

JUNE 12

50

Ishaqi

Muqdadiya

The Iraqi army retook control of Ishaqi and Muqdadiya on June 14. In Muqdadiya, a Shiite militia assisted the government forces.

40

Dujail

JUNE 14

30

Militants took control of several neighborhoods in Baquba on June 16 but were repulsed by security officers after a three-hour gun battle. Later, 44 Sunni prisoners were killed in a government-controlled police station.

Baquba

June 16, 17

Tarmiyah

JUNE 11

20

Falluja and many towns in the western province of Anbar have been under ISIS control for about six months.

Tigris

River

10

At least five bomb attacks occurred in Baghdad, mainly in Shiite areas, in the week after the rebel group took Mosul. The bodies of four young men were found shot on June 17 in a neighborhood controlled by Shiite militiamen.

Sadr City

Kadhimiya

Falluja

Bab al-Sheikh

Al-Bab Al-Sharqi

Baghdad

Saidiyah

Key Towns attacked Bomb attacks

Miles from

Central Baghdad

70

Adhaim

Samarra

60

Al-Mutasim

Dhuluiya

Muqdadiya

Ishaqi

40

Dujail

30

Baquba

Tarmiyah

20

10

Falluja

Baghdad

Several clashes occurred at the outskirts of Samarra, where Shiite militiamen have been sent to protect the Al-Askari Shrine.

The Iraqi army retook control of Ishaqi and Muqdadiya on June 14. In Muqdadiya, a Shiite militia assisted the government forces.

Militants took control of several neighborhoods in Baquba on June 16 but were repulsed by security officers after a three-hour gun battle. Later, 44 Sunni prisoners were killed in a government-controlled police station.

At least five bomb attacks occurred in Baghdad, mainly in Shiite areas, in the week after the rebel group took Mosul. The bodies of four young men were found shot on June 17 in a neighborhood controlled by Shiite militiamen.

Falluja and many towns in the western province of Anbar have been under ISIS control for about six months.

Sources: Institute for the Study of War, Long War Journal

Ten Years of ISIS Attacks in Iraq

Published June 15

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the Sunni militant group that staged a stunning operation to seize Iraq’s second largest city, has been fueling sectarian violence in the region for years. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Sources: Global Terrorism Database, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (attack data); Congressional Research Service; Council on Foreign Relations; Long War Journal; Institute for the Study of War

100

80

60

Attacks That Could Be Attributed to ISIS

40

20

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Mosul

Kirkuk

Baghdad

IRAQ

Basra

2004

51 attacks

 

2005

58 attacks

2006

5 attacks

2007

56 attacks

2008

62 attacks

2009

78 attacks

2010

86 attacks

2011

34 attacks

2012

603 attacks

2013

419 attacks

100

80

Attacks That Could

Be Attributed to ISIS

60

40

20

’04

’05

’06

’07

’08

’09

’10

’11

’12

’13

Mosul

Baghdad

IRAQ

Basra

2004

51 attacks

2005

58 attacks

2006

5 attacks

2007

56 attacks

2008

62 attacks

2009

78 attacks

2010

86 attacks

2011

34 attacks

2012

603 attacks

2013

419 attacks

2004-05 The group emerges as “Al Qaeda in Iraq” following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Its goal is to provoke a civil war.

2006-07 The group’s February 2006 bombing of one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines ignites sectarian violence across the country. After merging with several other Sunni insurgent groups, it changes its name to the Islamic State of Iraq.

2008-10 I.S.I. claims responsibility for more than 200 attacks, many in densely-populated areas around Baghdad.

2011-12 The group is relatively quiet for most of 2011, but re-emerges after American troops withdraw from Iraq.

2013 Seeing new opportunities for growth, I.S.I. enters Syria’s civil war and changes its name to reflect a new aim of establishing an Islamic religious state spanning Iraq and Syria. Its success in Syria bleeds over the border to Iraq.

2004-05 The group emerges as “Al Qaeda in Iraq” following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Its goal is to provoke a civil war.

2006-07 The group’s February 2006 bombing of one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines ignites sectarian violence across the country. After merging with several other Sunni insurgent groups, it changes its name to the Islamic State of Iraq.

2008-10 I.S.I. claims responsibility for more than 200 attacks, many in densely-populated areas around Baghdad.

2011-12 The group is relatively quiet for most of 2011, but re-emerges after American troops withdraw from Iraq.

2013 Seeing new opportunities for growth, I.S.I. enters Syria’s civil war and changes its name to reflect a new aim of establishing an Islamic religious state spanning Iraq and Syria. Its success in Syria bleeds over the border to Iraq.

2004-05 The group emerges as “Al Qaeda in Iraq” following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Its goal is to provoke a civil war.

2006-07 The group’s February 2006 bombing of one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines ignites sectarian violence across the country. After merging with several other Sunni insurgent groups, it changes its name to the Islamic State of Iraq.

2008-10 I.S.I. claims responsibility for more than 200 attacks, many in densely-populated areas around Baghdad.

2011-12 The group is relatively quiet for most of 2011, but re-emerges after American troops withdraw from Iraq.

2013 Seeing new opportunities for growth, I.S.I. enters Syria’s civil war and changes its name to reflect a new aim of establishing an Islamic religious state spanning Iraq and Syria. Its success in Syria bleeds over the border to Iraq.

2004-05 The group emerges as “Al Qaeda in Iraq” following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Its goal is to provoke a civil war. 2006-07 The group’s February 2006 bombing of one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines ignites sectarian violence across the country. After merging with several other Sunni insurgent groups, it changes its name to the Islamic State of Iraq. 2008-10 I.S.I. claims responsibility for more than 200 attacks, many in densely-populated areas around Baghdad. 2011-12 The group is relatively quiet for most of 2011, but re-emerges after American troops withdraw from Iraq. 2013 Seeing new opportunities for growth, I.S.I. enters Syria’s civil war and changes its name to reflect a new aim of establishing an Islamic religious state spanning Iraq and Syria. Its success in Syria bleeds over the border to Iraq.
Note: Before 2011, less information was available on who was responsible for attacks, so the number of ISIS attacks from 2004 to 2010 may be undercounted.

Sources: Global Terrorism Database, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (attack data); Congressional Research Service; Council on Foreign Relations; Long War Journal; Institute for the Study of War

A Week of Rapid Advances After Taking Mosul

Updated June 14

After sweeping across the porous border from Syria to overrun Mosul, insurgents aligned with the jihadist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria continued to press south down the main north-south highway toward Baghdad. Related Maps and Multimedia » Related article »

Mosul

Area of

detail

Tikrit

June 13

June 10

Mosul captured

Baghdad

Iraq

Jalawla

Kirkuk

Sadiyah

June 11

Tikrit

captured

Basra

June 12

Dhuluiya captured

June 11-12

Samarra

Tigris R.

About 110 miles

Attacks in

the days after

Mosul captured

30

June 11

Parts of Baiji

captured

20

30

Baghdad

Ishaki   Dujail

June 14

Taji

Lake Tharthar

Falluja

Ramadi

Euphrates R.

After capturing Mosul, Tikrit and parts of a refinery in Baiji, insurgents attacked Samarra, where Shiite militias helped pro-government forces. Then, they seized Jalawla and Sadiyah but were forced back by government troops backed by Kurdish forces. They continued their moves south by Ishaki and Dujail.

June 10

Mosul

captured

Area of

detail

Mosul

Tikrit

Iraq

Baghdad

Basra

About

110

miles

Kirkuk

Tigris R.

Attacks in

the days after

Mosul captured

June 11

Parts of Baiji

captured

30

June 11

Tikrit captured

June 13

Jalawla

30

June 11-12

Samarra attacked

June 12

Dhuluiya

captured

Sadiyah

20

June 14

Ishaki

Lake

Tharthar

Dujail

Taji

Euphrates R.

Ramadi

Baghdad

Falluja

June 10

Mosul

captured

June 11-12

Samarra

attacked

June 12

Dhuluiya

captured

June 13

Jalawla and

Sadiyah

attacked

June 14

Ishaki and

Dujail

attacked

June 11

Parts of

Baiji captured

June 11

Tikrit

captured

Kirkuk

Tigris R.

20

30

About 110 miles

30

Attacks in

the days after

Mosul captured

Baghdad

Taji

Falluja

Lake Tharthar

Mosul

Area of

detail

Ramadi

Tikrit

Euphrates R.

Baghdad

Iraq

Najaf

Basra

After capturing Mosul, Tikrit and parts of a refinery in Baiji, insurgents attacked Samarra, where Shiite militias helped pro-government forces. Then, they seized Jalawla and Sadiyah but were forced back by government troops backed by Kurdish forces. They continued their moves south by Ishaki and Dujail.

What the Militants Want: A Caliphate Across Syria and Iraq

Published June 13

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has vowed to establish a caliphate — a unified Islamic government ruled by a caliph, someone considered to be a successor to Muhammad’s political authority — stretching from western Syria across Iraq to the eastern border with Iran. This map shows the boundaries envisioned by ISIS. Related Maps and Multimedia »

Source: “The Islamic State in Iraq Returns to Diyala” by Jessica Lewis, Institute for the Study of War

turkey

Hasakah

Mosul

Erbil

Aleppo

Raqqa

Kirkuk

Deir al-Zour

iran

Baiji

syria

Tikrit

Homs

Jalawla

lebanon

Samarra

Dhuluiya

Damascus

iraq

Baghdad

israel

saudi

arabia

jordan

kuwait

turkey

Hasakah

Mosul

Aleppo

Kirkuk

syria

iran

Tikrit

Homs

leb.

Samarra

Damascus

Baghdad

iraq

israel

saudi

arabia

jordan

kuwait

Source: “The Islamic State in Iraq Returns to Diyala” by Jessica Lewis, Institute for the Study of War

Attacks Follow Sectarian Lines

Published June 12

The insurgents, originating in Syria, moved through Iraq's Sunni-dominated north and west, occupying cities and towns surrendered by Iraqi soldiers and police. They have largely avoided the Kurd-dominated northeast, but have threatened to march on to Baghdad and into the Shiite-dominated areas of the south. Related Maps and Multimedia »

Source: Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project

Mosul

Kirkuk

Baiji

Tikrit

Dhuluiyah

Samarra

Ramadi

Baghdad

Iraq

Falluja

Tigris

Euphrates River

Basra

Predominant group

Sunni Arab

Shiite Arab

Kurd

50 miles

Source: Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project

Iraqi Cities, Then and Now

Published June 13

Many of the Iraqi cities that have been attacked and occupied by militants in recent days were also the sites of battles and other major events during the Iraq War. Related Maps and Multimedia »

Mosul
Mosul Iraq
Then: American forces took control of Mosul in April 2003. What followed was a period of relative peace until mid-2004 when periodic insurgent attacks flared, resulting in a large-scale battle in November. The death toll reached dozens, including a number of Iraqi soldiers who were publicly beheaded. Related Article »
Now: In perhaps the most stunning recent development, Sunni militants drove Iraqi military forces out of Mosul on June 10, forcing a half-million residents to flee the city. Iraqi soldiers reportedly dropped their weapons and donned civilian clothing to escape ISIS insurgents.
Mosul Moises Saman for The New York Times
Falluja
Falluja Iraq
Then: Falluja played a pivotal role in the American invasion of Iraq. It was the site of a number of large-scale battles with insurgents. In April 2003, it became a hot bed for controversy when American soldiers opened fire on civilians after claiming they had been shot at. Incessant fighting left the city decimated, leveling a majority of its infrastructure and leaving about half its original population. Related Article »
Now: Sunni militants seized Falluja’s primary municipal buildings on Jan. 3. The takeover came as an early and significant victory for the group, initiating a slew of attacks south of the city.
Falluja Max Becherer for The New York Times
Tikrit
Tikrit Iraq
Then: The home of Saddam Hussein, Tikrit became the target of an early American military operation during the Iraq war. Securing it proved cumbersome, however, as insurgents mounted continued attacks on the city for years afterward. On Dec. 14, 2003, Hussein was found hiding in an eight-foot deep hole, just south of Tikrit. Related Article »
Now: Tikrit fell to ISIS insurgents on June 11, clearing a path for them to march on to Baiji, home to one of Iraq’s foremost oil-refining operations. After taking the city in less than a day, militants continued the fight just south, in Samarra.
Tikrit Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
Samarra
Samarra Iraq
Then: Samarra is home to the Askariya shrine, which was bombed in 2006, prompting an extended period of sectarian violence across the country. Related Article »
Now: After an initial attack on June 5, ISIS insurgents have now positioned themselves just miles away from Samarra. It is unclear whether they are capable of capturing the city in the coming days, but the Shiite shrine makes it a volatile target.
Samarra Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times

Video: Iraq’s Factions and Their Goals

Published June 13

A look at the goals of of the three main groups in Iraq — Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish — as the country threatens to split apart along sectarian lines. Related Maps and Multimedia »

Growing Humanitarian Crisis

Published June 12

The United Nations estimates that at least 500,000 Iraqis were displaced by the takeover of Mosul. Food supplies are low and there is limited fresh water and little electricity. An additional 430,000 people were displaced by fighting In Anbar Province, which insurgents have controlled for more than six months. Related Maps and Multimedia »

Safin Hamed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
An Iraqi family, one of thousands who have fled Mosul for the autonomous Kurdish region, walks past tents at a temporary camp.

Video: Behind the Group That Took Mosul

Published June 10

Background on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the Islamist group that appears to be in control of the second largest city in Iraq. Related Maps and Multimedia »

The surge of activity means Congress is likely to weigh in on the military action before the midterm elections in eight weeks. Former Vice President Dick Cheney further roiled the political atmosphere on Capitol Hill when he gave a speech on Wednesday blaming Mr. Obama’s “arbitrary and hasty” withdrawal of troops in 2011 for the chaos in Iraq.

Senator Richard J. Durbin, an Illinois Democrat and a political ally of Mr. Obama, rejected Mr. Cheney’s critique, saying, “We want to be careful that we don’t engage ourselves for a long period of time in a long-term war involving the vulnerability of our troops.”

Mr. Obama’s speech amounted to a strategy for a problem he has long said would defy an American remedy: sectarian strife between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in countries with deeply disaffected minorities and no history of democratic government.

Among the questions that Mr. Obama did not answer: How will the United States and its allies reinvigorate a moderate Syrian opposition that has been marginalized by more extremist forces? And how can the United States act against ISIS in Syria without benefiting President Bashar al-Assad?

While Mr. Obama said that Mr. Assad had lost his legitimacy to govern Syria, he did not call again for his ouster. Instead, he spoke of strengthening the moderate rebels to give them a seat at the table in a political settlement with the Assad government.

Administration officials indicated that airstrikes in Syria could still be weeks away, while American surveillance planes continue to gather intelligence on the location of ISIS targets.

They also tried to manage expectations about whether the United States could truly destroy ISIS. Wiping out a group whose roots go back to the start of the Iraq war is a formidable challenge, a senior official said in a briefing for reporters, speaking on the condition of anonymity under White House ground rules.

“What we can do is systematically roll back the organization, shrink the territory where they’re operating, decimate its ranks, cut off its sources of support in terms of funding and equipment, and have the threat methodically and relentlessly reduced,” he said.