By exploiting weaknesses and divisions, the extremist group has been able to establish a brutal regime in just 12 months.
Articles on Iraq
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Simplistic views of terrorist recruitment focus on online messages to Western youth. Foreign fighters are coming from many other countries, lured by many means, and we need more sophisticated responses.
The West is not only failing to win the war with Islamic State in the Middle East, it is actually much closer to losing it.
The destruction of Iraq and Syria’s cultural heritage is more than wanton vandalism – it’s a grim political project.
Record numbers of arrests of young Britons on suspicion of terrorism offences shows the need for a new and effective approach to online jihad.
Memories of the killing of Osama bin Laden are fading, but the legacies of al-Qaeda and the war on terror’s many ‘own goals’ haunt us in the form of multiplying threats and lost civil liberties.
Why the Iraqi army keeps losing ground to Islamic State, despite significantly outnumbering its forces.
With the war in Iraq and Syria going nowhere, the US has tried to spin a botched attempt to capture an IS leader as a success.
There are religious and non-religious extremists and we should not confuse violent believers with religion itself, which has a long history of peacemaking.
Dire government warnings and counter-terrorism raids in our suburbs paint a picture of the worst threat Western nations have ever faced. A little historical perspective is in order.
The terrorist group now calls itself Islamic State, but the many names by which it is known reflect both its own evolution and the deliberate choices others make in how they refer to it.
The death of a New Zealand citizen who returned to Iraq has led some to query his status as a refugee. We need to be clear about what it means to be granted asylum and the rights of citizenship.
Islamic State is a project built on solid foundations by jihadist theorists with decades of experience. The savagery of terrorism precedes the next stage of a caliphate that delivers longed-for order.
Australia made progress on restoring trade and sharing intelligence on Islamic State in Iraq. Iran was less open to accepting the return of asylum seekers, which may prove a blessing in disguise.
Islamic State’s rapid successes in Syria and Iraq stand in stark contrast to al-Qaeda’s efforts at global jihad over the past decade.
Australia and New Zealand’s joint mission in Iraq is getting underway. But in NZ, the decision to send 143 troops to train Iraqis against Islamic State has faced a divided parliament and public.
As the Iraqi’s banner assault on Islamic State sputtered, the US stepped in to help – and a third of the ground troops promptly went home.
Australia has a clear obligation under international law to take action to stop abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law by the ISF and Shi’a militia.
Iraq rolled into Tikrit with big promises of a major victory against Islamic State. The world is still waiting.
The flows of refugees from the conflicts in Iraq and Syria are yet another driver of demographic changes that are threatening to destabilise other states long regarded as strong and democratic.
Top contributors
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Professor of Peace Studies, University of Bradford
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Honorary Senior Fellow, The University of Melbourne
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Lecturer in Translation Studies, Cardiff University
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Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University
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Professor of International Politics, Clinton Institute, University College Dublin
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Honorary Research Fellow, Department of International Politics, City St George's, University of London
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Professor of International Politics, Deakin University
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Sessional Academic, School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University
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Director of the Curtin Extremism Research Network (CERN), Curtin University
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Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University
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Lecturer in Languages, Culture and Society, UCL
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Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex
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Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Social Science, The Open University
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Tony Walker AM is a Friend of The Conversation.
Director, La Trobe University