Rise of the Islamic State

The establishment of the Islamic State (IS)also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)is inseparable from the United States' invasion of Iraq in 2003. Following the downfall of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, the country's Shia, who account for 60 percent of Iraqis, took power. A Sunni rebellion subsequently arose across the country.

Originally, IS consisted of a variety of Sunni insurgent groups and included among its sponsors the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. Back then it was called the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), and its original purpose was to fight Iraq's Shia authorities and the US military. Iraq divided the country into two camps: the Shias in the south and the Sunnis in the north. The conflict goes all the way back to the 6th century dispute about who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad. The recent violence erupted after US troops left Iraq in 2011.