CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

1 FOUNDING FATHER

ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI’S JIHAD

2 SHEIKH OF THE SLAUGHTERERS

AL-ZARQAWI AND AL-QAEDA IN IRAQ

3 THE MANAGEMENT OF SAVAGERY

BIRTH OF THE ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ

4 AGENTS OF CHAOS

IRAN AND AL-QAEDA

5 THE AWAKENING

IRAQIS TURN ON ISI

6 WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

ISI AND MALIKI WAIT OUT THE UNITED STATES

7 ASSAD’S PROXY

SYRIA AND AL-QAEDA

8 REBIRTH

ISI UNDER ABU BAKR AL-BAGHDADI

9 REVOLUTION BETRAYED

JIHAD COMES TO SYRIA

10 CONVERTS AND “FIVE-STAR JIHADISTS”

PROFILES OF ISIS FIGHTERS

11 FROM TWITTER TO DABIQ

RECRUITING THE NEW MUJAHIDIN

12 DIVORCE

AL-QAEDA SPLITS FROM ISIS

13 SHAKEDOWN OF THE SHEIKHS

ISIS CO-OPTS THE TRIBES

14 AL-DAWLA

THE ISLAMIC “STATE”

EPILOGUE

NOTES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS