One year has passed since the Islamic State began wreaking havoc in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria. The rapid expansion of the terrorist group in the region has not only darkened the prospects of international efforts to fight terrorism, but also laid bare the failure of the Middle East policy of the United States.

Air strikes by the international anti-terror coalition, led by the US, have failed to halt the march of the extremist group. Instead, the group has built one stronghold after another and seized a combined territory of 80,000-90,000 square kilometers.

The group now dictates the future of about 6 million people in its strongholds and has infiltrated more than 20 other terrorist groups around the world. It has set up training camps to instill jihadist ideology into youths and imposed its own laws on the people in its sphere of influence.