A Return to Insurgency in Iraq The Islamic State’s transition to insurgency and the Iraqi mistakes that have aided it

Abstract

In response to the inevitable destruction of its territorial caliphate, the Islamic State (IS) has transitioned to an insurgency in Iraq. This insurgency is active and increasingly well entrenched. The Iraqi government has made a series of problematic decisions which have enabled IS and bolstered its narrative. However, if the Iraqi government were to rectify these mistakes it has an opportunity to significantly decrease support for the Islamic State.