Learn enough about the Islamic State to have an educated conversation.

After reading this politically neutral brief you will be able to talk intelligently about:

The organization's history

How they are funded

Key actors

Recent events

Why they are relevant





Total reading time is less than 5 minutes.





About The Author:

Matt Hughes holds a Bachelors Degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California and a Masters Degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University. He has served as both a civilian employee and a contractor with several U.S. government executive agencies and as an international conflict and security analyst for both non-profit and for-profit organizations. His publications have appeared in a variety of print and online sources. The views expressed in this piece are his alone and do not represent nor imply official U.S. government policies or positions.





What Is Vesper's Special Brief?

Vesper's Briefs are highly digestible overviews of topics compiled by experts in their field.