This book discusses ISIS within the context of violent non-state actors (VNSA); analyzes historical, ideological and operational roots and features of the group in Syria; and positions ISIS within the matrix of the conflicting parties in Syria. Although there are aspects of ISIS which do not fully overlap with the definitions of the VNSA, ISIS is still an organization that is on the border of holding qualities of a state in the Westphalian sense. ISIS is the pinnacle of the Salafi-jihadism and takfiri-messianism, and a living example of the Salafi-jihadi's power of transformation according to changing dynamics on the ground. The group has been particularly skillful in benefitting from chaos by filling in the vacuum left by the failed states, Syria and Iraq. The group's groundwork was laid down by Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, who differed both practically and ideologically from Al-Qaeda. The differences between the Al-Zarqawi and Bin Laden schools morphed into active conflict in later periods; as ISIS consolidated its power and began dominating the Salafi-jihadi community. This work demonstrates that ISIS is not a part of the Syrian insurgency against the Assad regime. Rather, it has maintained a separate agenda from the Syrian armed opposition, which has been trying to topple the Assad regime but stay within the existing system. ISIS, to the contrary, rejects the system both politically and territorially in its entirety, and aims to establish a caliphate which has no geographical constraints or limits.

本书在暴力非国家行为者（VNSA）的背景下讨论了ISIS；分析了该组织在叙利亚的历史、意识形态和行动根源和特点；并将ISIS置于叙利亚冲突各方的矩阵中。尽管ISIS的某些方面与VNSA的定义并不完全重叠，但ISIS仍然是一个处于威斯特伐利亚意义上的国家品质边缘的组织。伊斯兰国是萨拉菲-圣战主义和塔克菲里-麦西亚主义的巅峰，是萨拉菲-圣战主义根据当地不断变化的局势进行转变的一个生动例子。该组织特别善于通过填补叙利亚和伊拉克这两个失败国家留下的真空，从混乱中获益。该组织的基础工作是由阿布-穆萨布-扎卡维（Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi）奠定的，他在实践上和意识形态上都与基地组织不同。扎卡维和本-拉登学派之间的分歧在后期演变成了积极的冲突；因为ISIS巩固了其权力，并开始主导萨拉菲-吉哈迪社区。这项工作表明，ISIS不是叙利亚反阿萨德政权叛乱的一部分。相反，它一直保持着与叙利亚武装反对派不同的议程，后者一直试图推翻阿萨德政权，但却留在现有体制内。相反，ISIS在政治上和领土上都完全拒绝该体系，并旨在建立一个没有地理限制或约束的哈里发。