ISIS Never Really Went Away

Radio Atlantic

The Atlantic

Politics, Society & Culture, News

4.3 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 18 December 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

More than a decade after its peak, the Islamic State has changed, but it isn’t defeated. This past weekend, the jihadist group reemerged in connection with two disparate acts of violence thousands of miles apart. Two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria by a man the Pentagon says is affiliated with ISIS. A day later, at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, two men opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 and wounding dozens. The men had homemade ISIS flags in their car, and had recently traveled to an area in the Philippines where ISIS-affiliated groups are known to still be active. Are these incidents connected? And do they point to a group that’s evolving? Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:47.9	A decade ago, ISIS was infamous worldwide.
0:59.0	At its peak in 2014, the jihadist group controlled territory in Iraq and Syria, roughly the size of Kentucky.
1:08.0	It declared itself a caliphate with authority over Muslims everywhere.
1:13.1	Hard to forget from that period were the beheading videos, which ISIS released as a twisted
1:18.5	form of propaganda. Five years later, the group lost control of that territory, and then for the
1:24.9	most part, we didn't hear much about them. ISIS disappeared from the
	...

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