Black Flags: The Rise of Isis

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In a gripping narrative, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick explores the origins of the militant Islam that fueled ISIS, tracing its roots to a Jordanian prison and the unintended consequences of two American presidents. In 1999, Jordan granted amnesty to political prisoners, including Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a terrorist mastermind who would become a key figure in an Islamist movement aiming to dominate the Middle East. Warrick details how Zarqawi's fervor, combined with strategic errors by Presidents Bush and Obama, allowed ISIS to gain significant ground in Syria and Iraq. Initially, Zarqawi orchestrated terror attacks from northern Iraq, but the 2003 American invasion propelled him to lead a vast insurgency. Misidentifying him as a link between Saddam Hussein and bin Laden inadvertently attracted like-minded radicals to his cause, leading to a wave of brutal violence. Although Zarqawi was killed in a 2006 airstrike, his movement persisted, evolving from al-Qaeda in Iraq to ISIS. The outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011 provided ISIS with an opportunity to pursue an ultra-conservative Islamic caliphate. Drawing on high-level access to intelligence sources, Warrick combines operational details with insights from diplomats, spies, and military leaders who recognized the emerging threat. This account offers a definitive history of a dangerous extremist movement.