الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام « ƆAL-DAŬLAḦ ƆAL-ƆISLĀMĪAḦ FĪ ƆAL-CIRĀQ ŬAƆL-ŠĀM »
— Officially: الدولة الإسلامية « ɔal-Daŭlaḧ ɔal-Ɔislāmīaḧ ».
— English: Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
— Seat of government: Unknown.
— Status: Not democratic.
— Structure: Theocratic and autocratic government based on personal loyalty to the head of government.
— Head of government: إبراهيم عواد إبراهيم علي محمد البدري السامرائي « Ɔibrāhīm Caŭād Ɔibrāhīm Calī Muham:ad ɔal-Badrī ɔal-Samar:āỉī » (أبو بكر البغدادي « Ɔabū Bakr ɔal-Bağdādī »), as claimed خليفة « xalīfaḧ ».
— Assessment: Brutal, repressive theocracy. Led by ابو مصعب الزرقاوي « Ɔabū Musacab ɔal-Zarqāŭī » from its founding in 1999 (as جماعة التوحيد والجهاد « Ĝamācaḧ ɔal-Taŭhīd ŭaɔl-Ĝihād ») until his death in 2006. Previously best known as القاعدة بالعراق « ɔal-Qācidaḧ biɔl-Cirāq », and for a time affiliated with القاعدة « ɔal-Qācidaḧ » and انصار الاسلام « Ɔansār ɔal-Ɔislām ». Before 2011, fought to impose theocracy and disrupt any legitimate attempt at participatory government in العراق « ɔal-Cirāq ». Expanded into, and then based out of, the recognized territory of سوريا « Sūrīā » (with its seat in الرقة « ɔal-Raq:aḧ »). In 2014, داعش « DĀCiŠ » captured الموصل « ɔal-Maŭsil », and إبراهيم « Ɔibrāhīm » declared a خلافة « xilāfaḧ » with himself as head, and thus claimed leadership of the entire امة « Ɔum:aḧ ». He was seriously injured by a US strike in 2015, leaving chief deputy أبو علاء العفري « Ɔabū Calāɔ ɔal-Cafrī », as effective head of government, but أبو علاء « Ɔabū Calāɔ » was then reported killed in an air strike himself. In 2017, coordinated and independent efforts by numerous military forces cost داعش « DĀCiŠ » nearly all its territory.
— Updated: 2018 January 10.
O.T. FORD