Earlier, I posted on the declaration by the Islamic State (IS)—formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)—of a Caliphate that included territory in both Iraq and Syria.  The post made several points about this momentous event, including the real potential for resistance from both ordinary Iraqis and other militant groups.  As I noted then, everywhere that IS has attempted to implement their extremist version of shari’a on ordinary Muslims who do not support or affirm IS’s vision for the future of Islam, have fought against the militants.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, appeared for the first time in a video, delivering a sermon at the Great Mosque in the city of Mosul in Iraq’s Ninawa province.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) has declared a Caliphate in the territory it claims to control.  The leader of the group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has taken the title “Caliph Ibrahim” and, henceforth, ISIS will be known simply as the “Islamic State.” This is a momentous occasion for the jihadi-salafist movement, since the creation of a Caliphate is one of the stated goals of extremist groups around the Muslim-majority world.

Pro-Hezbollah forum members debated the effects of the crisis in Iraq and its potential spillover into Lebanon. In a thread entitled "The Danger That Has Struck Iraq Will Threaten the Neighboring Countries and Especially Lebanon," started on June 12, 2014, forum member Seraaj al-Janoob referred to Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnaan Mansour’s statement on the situation in Iraq, warning "of sleeper cells, and their support basins, that suddenly awaken to cause a destructive effect on the ground."

Days after launching a campaign to direct threats to the U.S. in the event it intervenes in Iraq against the Islamic State in Iraq and Sham (ISIS), jihadists on Twitter have intensified their efforts, suggesting targets and inciting Muslims to act.