The Islamic State without its Caliphate. How has the group reorganised since 2019?

The loss of the caliphate was not enough to annihilate the Islamic State. The capabilities and resources of this terrorist group do not solely rely on the control of territory alone.

Daesh and cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria. Issues and actors at different scales

Destroying images or past artifacts is sadly a constant in Daesh’s short history. Virginie Sauner deciphers this quasi systematic phenomenon. The goal of this destructive madness is to annihilate all possible evidence and memory of antique Mesopotamia. Daesh’s ultimate wish is to erase all evidence of pre-Islamic civilizations. The terrorist mouvement having created its own communication agency, the entire world was able to see for itself their allegedly religious vandalism, offering the worst of humanity. Beyond the vandalism, there also exits a particularly lucrative black market, trafficking thousands of artefacts.

Daesh: Which outlook for Iraq in 2023?

In a report published on the 9th of February 2023, the UN affirms that the threat of Daesh remains high. According to senior UN officials, the terrorist group continues to exploit the local fragility and the inter-communitarian tensions in the Middle-East and in Africa. Virginie Sauner analyses the Iraqi current perspectives of this global threat who still remains “particularly worrying.”

What are the current threats posed by the Islamic State?

On June 29, 2014, from Mosul, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi declared himself caliph, transforming the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) into the Islamic State (IS). Though defeated in Iraq in 2017 and losing its last Syrian stronghold in 2019, the group has recently resurged, demonstrating resilience, recruitment efforts, and evolving strategies. Despite lacking territorial control, the threat remains. Researcher Virginie Sauner notes that experts are divided on the current threat posed by ISIS: some consider it weakened, while others believe a comprehensive and coordinated response is necessary to counter a growing transnational threat.