ISIS News and Updates: A Closer Look at One of the Biggest Terror Organizations in the World; What are They Trying to Accomplish, and Why?

ISIS, a group formed less than 5 years ago, is a jihadist group known for brutal tactics, and considers itself the authority on Muslim religion around the world. It's main objective is to influence and control the major Muslim centers of the Middle East. This area is known as the Levant region, or Eastern Mediterranean region,  and it consists of Palestine, Jordan, Israel, parts of southern Turkey, Cyprus, and Lebanon.

Several things strengthened the group, but especially the "economic and political discrimination against Arab Iraqi Sunnis" after the fall of Saddam Hussein, helped them gain control of the region. This summer, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who now now goes by Amir al-Mu'minin Caliph Ibrahim was made the Caliph when ISIS proclaimed itself a caliphate and changed its name to the Islamic State in late June. Originally the group just wanted to control the majority Sunni Muslim regions in Iraq, but later extended it to the Sunni-region of Syria. They claim to want to create one Islamic state that stretches over the two areas.

Baghdadi is notable as the leader of ISIS, as CNN.com reports : He's "transformed a few terror cells harried to the verge of extinction into the most dangerous militant group in the world." The website purports that ISIS came about as the Islamic State back in 2006 as an offshoot of Al Qaeda. "The group exploited a growing perception among many Sunnis," CNN said, "that they were being persecuted by the Shia-dominated government led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, starved of resources and excluded from a share of power." 

Convincing Sunnis to join them is what helped ISIS build power. At this point, what ISIS mostly wants is to impose its Islamic beliefs on all those in the region and enforce Sharia law, which mean boys and girls attend separate schools; women don the niqab or in public wear the full veil. Sharia courts would also carry out brutal justice, like stoning to death. Music would also be banned.

ISIS of course needs money to operate and one of their ways to get funds is through kidnappings.

The group, according to reports had asked the United States to pay a multi-million dollar ransom for James Foley's life, but they didn't. The terrorist group has asked the United States for money, as well as prisoner swaps. Although ISIS is a separate group from Al Qaeda, the New York Times reports that "kidnapping Europeans has become the main source of revenue for Al Qaeda and its affiliates, which have earned at least $125 million in ransom payments in the past five years." ISIS is allegedly aware of the tactic, which explains recent kidnappings.

ISIS was founded in Iraq but became fully formed in Syria in 2011 following the Syrian Civil War. They are a militarized group known for brutal and gory executions that often involve foreigners who are dressed in orange jumpsuits, like prisoners held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba detention facility. Al Qaeda expelled the group this year, reportedly for being so brutal in their tactics.