{"id":287,"title":"The rise of ISIS, explained in 6 minutes","description":"This video from Vox explains the historical origins of the terrorist group ISIS. It traces the group's roots back to the Soviet-Afghan War, which brought together figures like Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The narrative follows how the 2003 US invasion of Iraq created a power vacuum and sectarian conflict that allowed Zarqawi's brutal Al-Qaeda in Iraq to flourish. The video then details how the Syrian Civil War provided a new battleground, leading to a split with Al-Qaeda and the formation of ISIS under Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who rapidly conquered territory in both Iraq and Syria before facing an international backlash.","slug":"the-rise-of-isis-explained-in-6-minutes","creator":"Vox","duration":378.020862,"tags":["ISIS","history","Vox","Al-Qaeda","Middle East","terrorism","Iraq War","Syrian Civil War","geopolitics","explainer","Johnny Harris","Max Fisher"],"transcription":"The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is a phenomenon so terrible and shocking, it seems impossible. It controls an area the size of the United Kingdom, commits mass atrocities, and launches terror attacks abroad. But to understand ISIS, it helps to tell the story of its rise. That story begins far away and many years before the group existed. In 1979, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to defend a puppet dictator against rebels. Young men from the Middle East flock in to join the rebels. Many see it as a religious struggle, and some develop extremist views. Among them is a well-educated young Saudi named Osama bin Laden. Also in Afghanistan is a semi-literate former street thug from Jordan who calls himself Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. They do not get along and never will, but will create the groups we today know as Al-Qaeda and as ISIS. The Soviets withdraw in 1989, and the Arab fighters eventually go home. Bin Laden grows Al-Qaeda into a global network to continue the struggle against Islam's enemies. Zarqawi forms his own group, but it fizzles. But both men later return to Afghanistan, now ruled by the Taliban. On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda attacks America from its base there. The US invades Afghanistan. Bin Laden flees to Pakistan. Zarqawi, still obscure, flees to a remote and lawless corner of Iraq. Two years later, the US does something that will transform the Middle East and set the stage for ISIS. My fellow citizens, the dangers to our country and the world will be overcome. The Americans topple Saddam Hussein's secular, mostly Sunni dictatorship, and it disbands the Iraqi army. Thousands of Sunni Iraqi soldiers, angry and unemployed, join the insurgency. Jihadist groups, who are also Sunni, see this as a repeat of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and again they flood in to fight. Zarqawi is among them. Zarqawi's group eventually becomes Iraq's most ruthless. He especially attacks Shia, deliberately sparking a Sunni-Shia civil war. By 2004, Zarqawi is a jihadist superstar. Al-Qaeda, isolated and weakened, attempts to bolster its image by forming an alliance with Zarqawi's group, which becomes known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq. But in 2006, Iraq's Sunnis rise up against Zarqawi, and the US kills him in an airstrike. Over the next few years, Al-Qaeda in Iraq is largely defeated. The Americans withdraw in 2011 from an Iraq that finally looks stable. 2011, the Arab Spring spreads across the Middle East. In Syria, dictator Bashar al-Assad cracks down violently on protesters. They eventually fire back, leading to a civil war. Assad fears the world will intervene against him, so he releases jihadists in large numbers from Syrian prisons, tinging the rebels with extremism and making it harder for foreigners to back them. Back in Iraq, what little remains of Zarqawi's group is still allied with Al-Qaeda, but now known as the Islamic State in Iraq. It's led by a bookish religious scholar who calls himself Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In 2012, Baghdadi sends a top deputy to Syria to start a new Al-Qaeda branch to fight alongside the rebels, Jabhat al-Nusra. Baghdadi attacks a series of prisons in Iraq, frees former jihadists, and recruits new ones, growing stronger. In April 2013, Baghdadi announces he is taking control of all Al-Qaeda allied forces in Syria and Iraq. His group expands into Syria, becoming the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. But Al-Qaeda rejects Baghdadi's power grab, and in 2014, formally exiles him. The two jihadist groups, long at odds, are now at war. ISIS grows powerful in Syria, in part because Assad tolerates its rise, which he does because it divides his enemies within Syria, and because foreign powers are too focused on ISIS now to worry about Assad. By June 2014, ISIS has built an army in Syria, and it launches a military-style invasion into Iraq. The Iraqi army, weakened by corruption, folds with little fight. And many Sunnis are tired of their Shia-dominated and increasingly authoritarian government and welcome, or at least tolerate, ISIS's arrival. Within days, ISIS controls a third of Iraq and a big part of Syria. ISIS's goal is more audacious than anything imagined by Al-Qaeda: to revive the ancient caliphate and expand it to encompass all Muslims. It earnestly believes its holy war will then bring about the apocalypse as foretold in scripture. Thousands of Muslims, mostly from the Middle East and from Europe, flock to join the group. Some join for religious reasons, but many are just disillusioned or angry and feel that ISIS offers them answers and a purpose. But ISIS has quickly overreached. That August, it invades Kurdish territory in Iraq and Syria, sparking counterattacks from better-organized Kurdish forces. Launches a genocide against Iraqi Yazidis, and murders the American journalist James Foley on camera, outraging the world and provoking an American-led air campaign against it. ISIS can't withstand the onslaught and loses more than a fifth of its territory. But in response, it begins launching increasingly spectacular terror attacks abroad in Tunisia, Kuwait, Sinai, and then Paris. And so-called lone wolves inspired by ISIS propaganda also launch attacks, though they're often amateurish and less effective. Eventually, ISIS will lose its state. It is simply too weak, has no allies or outside funders, and is surrounded by enemies. But ISIS will respond by reverting to what it was before as Al-Qaeda in Iraq: an insurgency and a terror group still capable of horrifying violence. And in that form, it could be around for years.","timeline":[{"t":3,"speech":"The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is a phenomenon so terrible and shocking, it seems impossible.","visual":{"action":"A fast-paced montage of historical and news imagery related to ISIS is shown, including a photo of a man in a fez, an Arabic flag, and armed militants.","colors":{"dominant":"black","palette":["black","white","grey","sepia","dark red"]},"composition":{"angle":"eye-level","focus":"deep","framing":"medium shot"},"mood":"ominous","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"A digital collage of moving images and text.","lighting":"varied","location":"archival footage collage"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"ISIS","location":"center-right","style":"white outline on black background"},{"content":"لا إله إلا الله","location":"top-left","style":"white Arabic script on black background"}]}},{"t":11,"speech":"It controls an area the size of the United Kingdom, commits mass atrocities, and launches terror attacks abroad.","visual":{"action":"A black and white map of the Middle East is shown. A rough, circular patch with Arabic writing on it appears over Iraq and Syria, representing ISIS territory. The view then cuts to a grainy, black and white shot of armed, masked militants.","colors":{"dominant":"grey","palette":["black","white","grey","light grey"]},"composition":{"angle":"eye-level","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"threatening","objects":[{"color":"black","name":"rifle","position":"center","state":"held by militants"}],"people":[{"age_range":"20s-30s","clothing":{"accessories":"black balaclavas","bottom":"camouflage pants","footwear":"","top":"dark jackets and tactical vests"},"face":"masked","hair":"covered","hands":"holding rifles","pose":"standing, facing the camera","position":"center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"barren, desert-like landscape","lighting":"bright, outdoor","location":"unspecified outdoor location"},"text_on_screen":[]}},{"t":22,"speech":"That story begins far away and many years before the group existed.","visual":{"action":"An animated map of the Middle East and Central Asia is shown. The Soviet Union is highlighted in red with a hammer and sickle emblem. The camera zooms in on Afghanistan.","colors":{"dominant":"brown","palette":["tan","brown","red","yellow","white"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"historical","objects":[{"color":"black","name":"tank","position":"over Soviet Union territory","state":"animated graphic"}],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"stylized map texture","lighting":"even, illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"SOVIETS","location":"center-left","style":"black box with white text"},{"content":"AFGHANISTAN","location":"center","style":"white text on map"}]}},{"t":33,"speech":"Young men from the Middle East flock in to join the rebels.","visual":{"action":"A black and white photograph of a group of Mujahideen fighters is shown. They are holding various weapons and posing for the camera.","colors":{"dominant":"grey","palette":["black","white","dark grey","light grey","sepia"]},"composition":{"angle":"eye-level","focus":"sharp","framing":"medium shot"},"mood":"defiant","objects":[{"color":"black","name":"AK-47 rifle","position":"held by fighters","state":"static"},{"color":"black","name":"rocket launcher","position":"held by a fighter","state":"static"}],"people":[{"age_range":"20s-30s","clothing":{"accessories":"turbans, hats, sunglasses","bottom":"loose trousers","footwear":"","top":"jackets and traditional robes"},"face":"serious, some smiling","hair":"dark, some with mustaches","hands":"holding weapons","pose":"posing for a group photo","position":"across the frame"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"outdoors, foliage","lighting":"natural, daylight","location":"Afghanistan (implied)"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"MUJAHIDEEN","location":"left","style":"large white text"},{"content":"Those engaged in holy struggle","location":"left, below 'MUJAHIDEEN'","style":"smaller white italic text"}]}},{"t":43,"speech":"Among them is a well-educated young Saudi named Osama bin Laden.","visual":{"action":"A color photograph of a young, smiling Osama bin Laden is displayed. He has a long beard and is wearing a head covering.","colors":{"dominant":"beige","palette":["beige","brown","black","white","grey"]},"composition":{"angle":"eye-level","focus":"on bin Laden's face","framing":"medium close-up"},"mood":"historical","objects":[],"people":[{"age_range":"20s-30s","clothing":{"accessories":"grey and white patterned headscarf","bottom":"","footwear":"","top":"light-colored collared shirt"},"face":"smiling broadly","hair":"long black beard","hands":"partially visible","pose":"seated, looking slightly to the right","position":"center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"indistinct, possibly a cave or simple room","lighting":"soft, natural","location":"Afghanistan (implied)"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Osama bin Laden","location":"top-right","style":"black serif text"}]}},{"t":48,"speech":"Also in Afghanistan is a semi-literate former street thug from Jordan who calls himself Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.","visual":{"action":"A montage of images related to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi appears, including a black and white portrait photo, a photo of him armed, and an Arabic document. These are layered over the map of Afghanistan.","colors":{"dominant":"red","palette":["red","black","white","brown","tan"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"deep","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"tense","objects":[{"color":"white","name":"document","position":"center","state":"graphic overlay"}],"people":[{"age_range":"30s","clothing":{"accessories":"black skullcap","bottom":"","footwear":"","top":"light-colored shirt"},"face":"serious, stern expression","hair":"short black hair, mustache, and beard","hands":"not visible","pose":"portrait","position":"center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map of Afghanistan","lighting":"varied, illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text on black bar"}]}},{"t":56,"speech":"but will create the groups we today know as Al-Qaeda and as ISIS.","visual":{"action":"A black map of the Middle East is shown. Portraits of Zarqawi and bin Laden appear, with lines pointing from Afghanistan to their future areas of operation. Text labels for ISIS and Al-Qaeda appear.","colors":{"dominant":"black","palette":["black","white","grey","red"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"informational","objects":[],"people":[{"age_range":"30s-40s","clothing":{},"face":"portraits of Zarqawi and bin Laden","hair":"","hands":"","pose":"headshots","position":"left and right of center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"black map with white outlines","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"ZARQAWI","location":"left","style":"white text"},{"content":"BIN LADEN","location":"right","style":"white text"},{"content":"ISIS","location":"top-left","style":"white text"},{"content":"Al Qaeda","location":"top-right","style":"white text"}]}},{"t":68,"speech":"Bin Laden grows Al-Qaeda into a global network to continue the struggle against Islam's enemies.","visual":{"action":"On the map, lines radiate out from Afghanistan, representing the spread of fighters. The camera then zooms in on the Arabian Peninsula where bin Laden's portrait is shown with the Al-Qaeda flag.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","white","black"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"analytical","objects":[{"color":"black","name":"Al-Qaeda flag","position":"over Saudi Arabia","state":"graphic overlay"}],"people":[{"age_range":"40s","clothing":{"accessories":"white turban","bottom":"","footwear":"","top":""},"face":"portrait of Osama bin Laden","hair":"black and grey beard","hands":"","pose":"headshot","position":"over Saudi Arabia"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Jihadists form networks","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"1990s","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":81,"speech":"On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda attacks America from its base there.","visual":{"action":"A rapid montage shows archival footage of the World Trade Center, a plane flying towards the towers, and mugshots of the hijackers. This is followed by a map showing a line from Afghanistan to New York City.","colors":{"dominant":"orange","palette":["orange","brown","white","black","blue"]},"composition":{"angle":"varied","focus":"varied","framing":"montage of shots"},"mood":"shocking","objects":[{"color":"grey","name":"airplane","position":"in the sky","state":"flying"}],"people":[{"age_range":"20s-30s","clothing":{},"face":"mugshots of 9/11 hijackers","hair":"","hands":"","pose":"headshots","position":"grid"}],"setting":{"architecture":"World Trade Center towers","background":"New York City skyline","lighting":"daylight","location":"New York City"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"9/11","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2001","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":92,"speech":"The US invades Afghanistan. Bin Laden flees to Pakistan. Zarqawi, still obscure, flees to a remote and lawless corner of Iraq.","visual":{"action":"An American flag appears over Afghanistan on the map. Bin Laden's portrait moves to Pakistan, and Zarqawi's portrait moves to Iraq.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","white","red","blue"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"consequential","objects":[{"color":"red, white, blue","name":"American flag","position":"over Afghanistan","state":"graphic overlay"}],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"US invades Afghanistan","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2001","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":102,"speech":"My fellow citizens, the dangers to our country and the world will be overcome.","visual":{"action":"A portrait of George W. Bush appears over North America. Animated jets fly from the US towards Iraq on the map. News footage of explosions in Baghdad at night is shown.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","black","white","orange"]},"composition":{"angle":"varied","focus":"varied","framing":"montage"},"mood":"dramatic","objects":[{"color":"black","name":"jet fighters","position":"flying across map","state":"animated graphics"}],"people":[{"age_range":"50s","clothing":{"accessories":"red tie","bottom":"","footwear":"","top":"dark suit jacket, white shirt"},"face":"speaking seriously","hair":"grey","hands":"not visible","pose":"speaking from a podium","position":"left of center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map and news footage","lighting":"varied","location":"animated map / Baghdad, Iraq"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"US invades Iraq","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2003","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":113,"speech":"The Americans topple Saddam Hussein's secular, mostly Sunni dictatorship, and it disbands the Iraqi army.","visual":{"action":"An image of Saddam Hussein appears next to an American flag over Iraq. Below it, an image of the Iraqi army is shown, which then gets a 'disbanded' graphic over it.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","black","white","red"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"informational","objects":[],"people":[{"age_range":"60s","clothing":{"accessories":"","bottom":"","footwear":"","top":"dark suit"},"face":"portrait of Saddam Hussein","hair":"black hair and mustache","hands":"one hand raised","pose":"pointing","position":"right of center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"SADDAM","location":"right","style":"white text on black bar"},{"content":"IRAQI ARMY","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text on black bar"}]}},{"t":125,"speech":"Jihadist groups, who are also Sunni, see this as a repeat of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and again they flood in to fight.","visual":{"action":"On the map, a black cloud labeled 'Sunni insurgency' appears in Iraq. Lines then fly from all over the Middle East into this cloud, representing the influx of foreign fighters.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","black","white"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"chaotic","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Jihadists arrive","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"}]}},{"t":135,"speech":"He especially attacks Shia, deliberately sparking a Sunni-Shia civil war.","visual":{"action":"A photo of a destroyed mosque is shown. The map of Iraq is then color-coded to show the sectarian divide: yellow for Kurd, red for Sunni, and green for Shia.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","red","green","yellow","brown"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"divisive","objects":[{"color":"beige","name":"destroyed mosque","position":"full frame","state":"in ruins"}],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Jihadists attack Shia","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2004","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"},{"content":"KURD","location":"top","style":"white text"},{"content":"SUNNI","location":"center","style":"white text"},{"content":"SHIA","location":"bottom","style":"white text"}]}},{"t":147,"speech":"Al-Qaeda, isolated and weakened, attempts to bolster its image by forming an alliance with Zarqawi's group, which becomes known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq.","visual":{"action":"The portrait of Zarqawi is shown with the Al-Qaeda flag appearing below him, forming the logo for 'Al Qaeda in Iraq'.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","black","white"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"strategic","objects":[{"color":"black","name":"Al-Qaeda flag","position":"center","state":"graphic overlay"}],"people":[{"age_range":"30s","clothing":{},"face":"portrait of Zarqawi","hair":"","hands":"","pose":"headshot","position":"center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Al Qaeda in Iraq","location":"center","style":"large white text"},{"content":"AQI is formed","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"}]}},{"t":158,"speech":"But in 2006, Iraq's Sunnis rise up against Zarqawi, and the US kills him in an airstrike.","visual":{"action":"A silhouette of a jet flies over the map and drops a bomb on Zarqawi's portrait, which explodes in a cloud of smoke.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","black","white","grey"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"violent","objects":[{"color":"black","name":"jet silhouette","position":"top-right","state":"flying"}],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Zarqawi killed","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2006","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":168,"speech":"The Americans withdraw in 2011 from an Iraq that finally looks stable.","visual":{"action":"The black cloud representing the insurgency over Iraq on the map shrinks and dissipates. The American flag graphic is removed.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","white","black"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"hopeful","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"US leaves Iraq","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2011","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":175,"speech":"2011, the Arab Spring spreads across the Middle East.","visual":{"action":"Green splotches appear on the map over North Africa and parts of the Middle East, indicating the locations of the Arab Spring uprisings.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","white","green"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"turbulent","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Arab Spring","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2011","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":181,"speech":"In Syria, dictator Bashar al-Assad cracks down violently on protesters. They eventually fire back, leading to a civil war.","visual":{"action":"On the map, a portrait of Bashar al-Assad appears over Syria, along with an image of protesters. This is then replaced by an image of armed rebels against a red background.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","red","black","white"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"violent","objects":[],"people":[{"age_range":"40s-50s","clothing":{"accessories":"","bottom":"","footwear":"","top":"dark suit"},"face":"portrait of Bashar al-Assad","hair":"short black hair","hands":"","pose":"headshot","position":"over Syria"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Syrian Civil War","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"ASSAD","location":"over Syria","style":"white text on black bar"},{"content":"REBELS","location":"over Syria","style":"white text on black bar"}]}},{"t":196,"speech":"Back in Iraq, what little remains of Zarqawi's group is still allied with Al-Qaeda, but now known as the Islamic State in Iraq.","visual":{"action":"The camera focuses on the remnant of the AQI insurgency in Iraq. A new leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is introduced with a portrait and a graphic for 'ISI'.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","black","white"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"analytical","objects":[],"people":[{"age_range":"40s","clothing":{"accessories":"black turban","bottom":"","footwear":"","top":"black robes"},"face":"speaking into a microphone","hair":"long black beard","hands":"gesturing","pose":"speaking at a podium","position":"center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi","location":"top-center","style":"white text"},{"content":"ISI","location":"center","style":"large white text"}]}},{"t":208,"speech":"In 2012, Baghdadi sends a top deputy to Syria to start a new Al-Qaeda branch to fight alongside the rebels, Jabhat al-Nusra.","visual":{"action":"An arrow extends from the ISI graphic in Iraq to the rebels in Syria. A new graphic for 'Jabhat al-Nusra' appears, linked to the Syrian rebels.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","black","white","red"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"strategic","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Jabhat al-Nusra","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2012","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":218,"speech":"In April 2013, Baghdadi announces he is taking control of all Al-Qaeda allied forces in Syria and Iraq. His group expands into Syria, becoming the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.","visual":{"action":"The ISI graphic expands to cover parts of Syria, and the text changes from 'ISI' to 'ISIS'.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","black","white"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"transformative","objects":[],"people":[{"age_range":"40s","clothing":{},"face":"portrait of Baghdadi","hair":"","hands":"","pose":"speaking","position":"center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"ISI becomes ISIS","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2013","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":232,"speech":"But Al-Qaeda rejects Baghdadi's power grab, and in 2014, formally exiles him. The two jihadist groups, long at odds, are now at war.","visual":{"action":"On a black background, the logos for Jabhat al-Nusra (labeled Al-Qaeda) and ISIS are shown facing each other with a 'VS' graphic between them.","colors":{"dominant":"black","palette":["black","white","red"]},"composition":{"angle":"eye-level","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"confrontational","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"black with map outline","lighting":"graphic","location":"graphic space"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"JABHAT AL NUSRA (AL-QAEDA)","location":"left","style":"white text"},{"content":"ISIS","location":"right","style":"white text"}]}},{"t":242,"speech":"ISIS grows powerful in Syria, in part because Assad tolerates its rise, which he does because it divides his enemies within Syria,","visual":{"action":"The map shows Assad's portrait in a circle, with red lines extending from ISIS towards the Syrian rebels (Jabhat al-Nusra), indicating ISIS is fighting Assad's enemies for him.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","black","white","red"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"cynical","objects":[],"people":[{"age_range":"40s-50s","clothing":{},"face":"portrait of Assad","hair":"","hands":"","pose":"headshot","position":"left"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"ASSAD","location":"left","style":"white text on black bar"}]}},{"t":255,"speech":"By June 2014, ISIS has built an army in Syria, and it launches a military-style invasion into Iraq.","visual":{"action":"A large black and brown area representing ISIS-controlled territory rapidly expands from Syria into a large portion of northern and western Iraq on the map.","colors":{"dominant":"brown","palette":["brown","tan","black","white"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"alarming","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"ISIS sweeps Iraq","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2014","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":268,"speech":"ISIS's goal is more audacious than anything imagined by Al-Qaeda: to revive the ancient caliphate and expand it to encompass all Muslims.","visual":{"action":"A world map is shown with a large black area with the ISIS flag emblem spreading out from the Middle East to cover Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia.","colors":{"dominant":"black","palette":["black","white","tan"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"extreme wide shot"},"mood":"apocalyptic","objects":[{"color":"white","name":"ISIS flag emblem","position":"center","state":"superimposed on map"}],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated world map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[]}},{"t":280,"speech":"Thousands of Muslims, mostly from the Middle East and from Europe, flock to join the group.","visual":{"action":"A bar chart appears showing the origin of ISIS foreign fighters. The largest bars are for the Middle East and Northern Africa, followed by Western Europe.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","black","white"]},"composition":{"angle":"eye-level","focus":"sharp","framing":"medium shot"},"mood":"informational","objects":[{"color":"black","name":"bar chart","position":"center","state":"static graphic"}],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"stylized map texture","lighting":"even, graphic","location":"graphic space"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"ORIGIN OF ISIS FOREIGN FIGHTERS","location":"top-center","style":"black text"}]}},{"t":290,"speech":"That August, it invades Kurdish territory in Iraq and Syria, sparking counterattacks from better-organized Kurdish forces.","visual":{"action":"On the map, the ISIS territory pushes into an area labeled 'Kurds'. A red triangle representing the Kurds pushes back against the ISIS advance.","colors":{"dominant":"brown","palette":["brown","tan","black","red"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"conflict","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"ISIS attacks Kurds","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"KURDS","location":"top-right","style":"white text on black bar"}]}},{"t":300,"speech":"launches a genocide against Iraqi Yazidis, and murders the American journalist James Foley on camera, outraging the world and provoking an American-led air campaign against it.","visual":{"action":"A photo shows Yazidi refugees walking through a desert landscape. The map then shows an American jet graphic appearing and bomb icons falling on the ISIS territory.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","white","black"]},"composition":{"angle":"varied","focus":"varied","framing":"montage"},"mood":"tragic","objects":[],"people":[{"age_range":"varied","clothing":{"accessories":"","bottom":"trousers, shorts","footwear":"","top":"shirts, t-shirts"},"face":"strained, tired","hair":"","hands":"carrying belongings or children","pose":"walking in a long line","position":"across the frame"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"barren, rocky hills","lighting":"bright, harsh sunlight","location":"Iraqi desert"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"Murder of James Foley","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"}]}},{"t":312,"speech":"But in response, it begins launching increasingly spectacular terror attacks abroad in Tunisia, Kuwait, Sinai, and then Paris.","visual":{"action":"On the map, explosion graphics appear over Europe and North Africa, representing terror attacks. The map of Europe is highlighted in white.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","white","black","orange"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"terrifying","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"ISIS strikes abroad","location":"bottom-center","style":"white text in a decorative box"},{"content":"2015","location":"bottom-center","style":"large white text below box"}]}},{"t":325,"speech":"Eventually, ISIS will lose its state. It is simply too weak, has no allies or outside funders, and is surrounded by enemies.","visual":{"action":"The dark brown territory representing ISIS on the map begins to shrink and recede.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","white","black"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"analytical","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[]}},{"t":335,"speech":"But ISIS will respond by reverting to what it was before as Al-Qaeda in Iraq: an insurgency and a terror group still capable of horrifying violence.","visual":{"action":"The shrinking ISIS territory on the map transforms into a single silhouette of a masked militant holding a rifle, representing a shift back to insurgency.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","white","black"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"sobering","objects":[{"color":"black","name":"rifle","position":"center","state":"held by militant"}],"people":[{"age_range":"unknown","clothing":{"accessories":"balaclava","bottom":"","footwear":"","top":"dark clothing"},"face":"masked","hair":"covered","hands":"holding a rifle","pose":"standing, ready","position":"center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[]}},{"t":345,"speech":"And in that form, it could be around for years.","visual":{"action":"The camera slowly zooms out from the silhouette of the militant on the map of Syria and Iraq.","colors":{"dominant":"tan","palette":["tan","brown","white","black"]},"composition":{"angle":"overhead","focus":"sharp","framing":"wide shot"},"mood":"foreboding","objects":[],"people":[{"age_range":"unknown","clothing":{"accessories":"balaclava","bottom":"","footwear":"","top":"dark clothing"},"face":"masked","hair":"covered","hands":"holding a rifle","pose":"standing","position":"center"}],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"animated map","lighting":"illustrative","location":"animated map"},"text_on_screen":[]}},{"t":350,"speech":"","visual":{"action":"The screen splits, showing credits on a green background on the right, and a subscribe call-to-action on a purple background on the left.","colors":{"dominant":"green","palette":["green","purple","yellow","white"]},"composition":{"angle":"eye-level","focus":"sharp","framing":"full screen graphic"},"mood":"informational","objects":[],"people":[],"setting":{"architecture":"","background":"split-screen solid colors","lighting":"graphic","location":"end screen"},"text_on_screen":[{"content":"VIDEO BY\nJOHNNY HARRIS\nWORDS BY\nMAX FISHER","location":"right","style":"yellow text"},{"content":"MUSIC\n\"WAITING FOR YOUR FATE\" (APM)\n...","location":"right","style":"white text"},{"content":"Subscribe","location":"top-left","style":"yellow text on black bar"},{"content":"Syrian Civil War in 5 minutes","location":"bottom-left","style":"yellow text"}]}}],"created_at":"2026-04-11 18:31:47","processed_at":"2026-04-11 18:35:49","view_count":1,"thumbnail":"/data/videos/2cf1a912-1b35-4797-85e6-bbbe903d2f9a/thumbnail.jpg","video":"/data/videos/2cf1a912-1b35-4797-85e6-bbbe903d2f9a/web.mp4","urls":{"page":"/v/the-rise-of-isis-explained-in-6-minutes","api":"/api/v1/videos/the-rise-of-isis-explained-in-6-minutes","timeline_file":"/data/videos/2cf1a912-1b35-4797-85e6-bbbe903d2f9a/timeline.json"}}