Documentary
The Secret History of ISIS
May 17, 2016
FRONTLINE first reported on the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in early February 2014, months before the group made international headlines declaring its own caliphate. Since then, our documentaries have covered how ISIS' predecessor, Al Qaeda in Iraq, gained strength in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, how it exploited the conflict in Syria, and how the long and costly U.S.-led fight against ISIS, with a civilian toll of its own, has played out in the Middle East and across the world. FRONTLINE has also investigated the continuing evolution of the ISIS threat, including how the group has solidified a foothold in Afghanistan.
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