The Islamic State Today Published Jan. 15, 2016 By Senior Airman Sean D. Smith Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The Islamic State controls a lot of real estate in in Iraq and Syria -- enough to become the focus of the global conversation on extremism, and it's also the target of a substantial air campaign. IS is one of the most visible antagonists of today, and U.S. policy on IS is becoming a controversial and impactful fulcrum in American politics. Here's a little background on IS, and where it all stands as of Jan, 2016. This organization is referred to by several names, including IS, ISIS and ISIL, which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The group that would go on to become IS formed in 1999 in Jordan, but became active in Iraq, where it later pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda after President George W. Bush's U.S.-led coalition invasion in 2003. IS grew in influence during the following period of insurgency, ultimately breaking away from al-Qaeda before declaring itself a worldwide caliphate and gaining global notoriety through several graphic videos of beheadings in 2014. IS has its theological doctrine rooted in an extremely radical, far-right doctrine of Sunni Islam characterized by the strict enforcement of Sharia Law. The purpose of the Islamic State's aggressive behavior is presumably to spread and enforce its interpretation of Islam. By declaring a worldwide caliphate, IS has declared total authority over every Muslim in the world, though the declaration has no practical effect. Muslim leaders across the globe have loudly denounced IS and its actions. There are approximately 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, which is slightly less than one quarter of Earth's population. With fewer than 50,000 fighters, IS represents a numerically negligible segment of the Muslim community, but the group has still succeeded in putting quite a bit of Iraq and Syria in a stranglehold. IS also controls territory in other countries, including Nigeria and Libya. Criminal acts and human rights violations have led to IS being labeled a terrorist organization. The global caliphate, along with all IS claims of legitimacy, have been overwhelmingly rejected. IS and its influence have been linked to several high-profile terrorist attacks in other parts of the world, which only strengthen worldwide determination to resist extremism. While the governments of Syria and Iraq are the primary source of resistance to IS, a coalition has been established which includes the United States and numerous NATO countries, along with other allies to assist in the fight against IS, which has come to be recognized as a serious destabilizing agent in the Middle East. Thanks to geography and geopolitics, the fight against IS is inextricably tied to the delicate diplomatic situation regarding Bashar al-Assad, president of Syria, further complicating matters. The coalition resistance to IS is so far characterized by an extensive air campaign, with contributions from the air forces of more than a dozen nations. Other coalition efforts include providing support to the enemies of IS in the region, and many more countries are providing humanitarian aid to people still in IS-controlled territory, and the broader IS crisis has displaced millions of people, leading to an urgent refugee crisis in Europe. It's not clear what will become of the people fleeing IS, and likewise, the effectiveness of the coalition air campaign remains the subject of debate. The situation with President Assad remains potentially volatile, and at least for the moment, IS isn't going anywhere.