To prepare for our unit on ISIS we will spend Tuesday and Wednesday this week going over some background information about the Islamic State.
- How ISIS Works (New York Times Article) Originally published in 2014 this article provides a useful overview of the organization, its structure, funding, weapons, etc.
- VOX: The Rise of ISIS in 6 Minutes A quick overview of ISIS and the rise of radical Islamic terrorism from the original fight against the Soviet Union to today.
- Auditing ISIS (Planet Money) I know that I am biased and really enjoy NPR's Planet Money, but this is a great episode regardless. This episode examines in detail the budget for an ISIS controlled territory. The simplistic answer that ISIS gets its money from oil is just that simplistic and as this podcast shows; oversimplifying ISIS and their resources will likely continue to result in underestimating ISIS's strength and over look effective ways to challenge and defeat this organization.