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as well as to support the Iraqi gov-
ernment, which America had
helped bring to power less than a
decade earlier. The U.S. provided
humanitarian aid to the Kurds,
who were taking refuge from ISIL
on Mount Sinjar, and launched
airstrikes against ISIL positions.
Despite the U.S. intervention,
in October 2014 some 10,000 ISIL
troops nearly reached Baghdad,
the capital city of Iraq, before
finally being halted by the Iraqi
Army, supported by U.S.
airstrikes.
The ISIL threat brought inter-
national attention to Iraq, a coun-
try that for many years has
seemed to be on the verge of dis-
integration. Iraq as an independ-
ent political entity, or nation-state, was formed after the end of
World War I. The country’s borders include three groups of people
who have often been at odds throughout their history: Shiite
I
RAQ
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caliph—an Arabic word meaning “successor,” and traditionally denoting the successor to
Muhammad as head of the Islamic community.
industrialized—having many manufacturing and industrial businesses.
Words to Understand in This Chapter
The flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant is a black banner that includes the shaha-
da, an important Muslim statement of belief. The
circle design is said to be the “seal of
Muhammad,” the chief prophet of Islam. Other
Islamist terror organizations have adopted a black
banner as well.