Research on the Islamic State, Syria, and Iraq | Middle East Forum

The Evolution in Islamic State Administration: The Documentary Evidence (Aug. 5) Perspectives on Terrorism An in-depth study of how IS administrative institutions evolved over the course of its rise. Until 2014, IS functioned more like a mafia organization than a state, according to Jawad al-Tamimi. While the first „real signs of proto-governance“ began to emerge with consolidation of control over Raqqa and other Syrian areas in mid-2013, ISIS began to cultivate a consistent system of administration in its areas of control in Syria and Iraq in 2014. Today, in contrast to other rebel groups in Syria and Iraq, it has a „a diverse range of bureaucratic departments.“