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EFTA01197789 | EFTA01197794 When it comes to ISIS, ISIL or the Islamic State, the extremist group that has seized large swaths of Iraq and Syria using horrifying tactics, there is no shortage of speculation about its history and ambitions. But not all the claims about the organization now targeted by the U.S. hold up. Here's a look at some of the biggest and most troubling misunderstandings about the Islamic State. MYTH t: ISIS Al-QAEDA First of all ISIS is not al-Qaeda. In fact, the groups are on less-than-friendly terms. Here's the backstory: ISIS' roots lie in a Sunni Islamist militant group founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden in 2005 and named his group alQaeda in Iraq. Their relationship was sometimes tense, and the groups developed different tactics, goals and styles of leadership. After al-Zarqawi was killed an a US. strike in 2006, the group took the new name the Islamic State in Iraq. The group's current leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, decided to expand into Syria after the country's civil war broke out in 2011. In April 2ot3, al-Baghdadi proclaimed his group's merger with al-Qaeda's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, calling the new venture the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. But the al-Qaeda group denied the alliance, and when al-Baghdadi refused orders to focus on Iraq, al-Qaeda's top leadership cut ties with ISIS. Since then, the two can be thought of as competitors. MYTH 2: ISIS WAS CREATED BY THE CIA One of the more eyebrow-raising theories about ISIS is that it is a creation of U.S., British and/or Israeli intelligence agencies. New York Times reporter Thomas Erdbrink told IluffPost Live that the belief is common among Iranians. The theory was traced back to a dubious blog post that was picked up by Iranian and other Middle Eastern media. Conservative media got hold of it, using it as an example of a government conspiracy. Politifact bestowed the theory its "Pants on fire" rating.... TOTAL LIE!!! MYTH 3: ISIS REPRESENTS ALL MUSLIMS As Alastair Crooke explains in a blog for the WorldPost, ISIS practices an ultra-radical interpretation of Sunni Islam. In late September, a group of Muslim scholars from around the world issued a letter rebuking ISIS' extreme ideology. The scholars tore down the group's practices as un-Islamic, offering a point-by-point summary of how its ideology breaks from what most Muslims believe. The scholars wrote that in Islam, it is forbiden to torture, kill the innocent and attribute evil acts to God, rejecting how ISIS has sought to kill people they call "kafir -- or infidels who have not pledged allegiance to a single Muslim leader. For ISIS, the kafir may include other Muslims. The scholars go on to denounce other ISIS actions and beliefs, including forcing others to convert to its ideologies, destroying the tombs of prophets. Muslims around the world have condemned ISIS' extreme beliefs. A movement started by British Muslims flooded social media with mecsages of "•NotInMyName," rejecting ISIS' brutal tactics and accusing the group of "hiding behind a false Islam." MYTH 4: ISIS HAS NO OBJECTIVE Despite ISIS' craven tactics and irrational aims, the group is not acting without motives and strategies. Its goal is to establish a caliphate -- an Islamic state obedient to its leader, Abu Bakr al-Bughdadi. It has worked to this end by waging jihad in a fashion that captivates attention, exploits fears, woos disaffected communities, takes advantage of weaknesses an the region, spreads its message, enlists new recruits, and adds wealth and resources. If ISIS is mad, it is mad like a fox. But what is important is that the caliphate that ISIS would like to create is the lands that include Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait and parts of Saudi Arabia, Israel, Palestine and the UAF.. And its war against the US, Western Europe and other nations is to try to dissuade their support for the targeted countries in the Middle East. MYTH 5: ISIS IS POISED TO INFILTRATE THE U.S. VIA MEXICO Politicians, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), and media reports have claimed recently that the U.S.-Mexico border could, and potentially already has, been used as a U.S. entry point for ISIS forces. However, the allegations aren't holding up. Franks' claim that ISIS is presently in Mexico is highly unlikely, according to fact-checker Politifact. Top security officials said the U.S. has no evidence ISIS agents are crossing the U.S. border with Mexico, and there was no indication that it intends to do so. The Mexican government called the idea "absurd." This is blatant fear mongering by Republicans who are willing to do anything to discredit the President and his administration. MYTH 6: ISIS IS INVINCIBLE Despite ISIS victories in Iraq and Syria, and the ineptitude of the Iraqi military to stop its advance, analysts argue it is not unstoppable. EFTA01197794
May 13, 2026 at 4:11 AM