What did ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi assert in September 2017?

What did ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi assert in September 2017?

• A. That ISIS remains committed to establishing a global caliphate despite setbacks
• B. That ISIS would abandon the caliphate project
• C. That ISIS would focus only on regional ambitions
• D. That ISIS had dissolved its organization

Answer: (A)

The key idea being tested is recognizing what ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi publicly claimed after major defeats: that the movement would persist and remain committed to its goal of establishing a global caliphate, rather than retreating or dissolving. In September 2017, he released a message asserting that the Islamic State continues to exist and to pursue its ambition of a worldwide caliphate, urging continued support and continued jihad despite losses on the battlefield. This is why the statement about remaining committed to a global caliphate fits best. It contradicts ideas of abandoning the project, narrowing ambitions to a regional scope, or dissolving the organization.

The key idea being tested is recognizing what ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi publicly claimed after major defeats: that the movement would persist and remain committed to its goal of establishing a global caliphate, rather than retreating or dissolving. In September 2017, he released a message asserting that the Islamic State continues to exist and to pursue its ambition of a worldwide caliphate, urging continued support and continued jihad despite losses on the battlefield. This is why the statement about remaining committed to a global caliphate fits best. It contradicts ideas of abandoning the project, narrowing ambitions to a regional scope, or dissolving the organization.