Since ISIS stormed onto the world's stage on June 10, 2014 with its seizure of Mosul, the Institute for the Study of War has been the institution of record for tracking ISIS. The ISW "ISIS Sanctuary Map" quickly became an iconic image of the conflict raging across Syria and Iraq. It has been used hundreds of times, in several languages, and adapted for such uses as electronic backdrops on CNN, Fox, and other news broadcasts. When developing a 1,200 year history of Iraq in maps, The National Geographic used only one source for its map of the recent conflict: ISW.
 The ISIS Sanctuary Maps from the last 14 months (and longer) show how ISW has tracked the conflict and become the recognized expert on ISIS's expansion. As we approach the one-year anniversary of U.S. and coalition airstrikes against ISIS, we have collected all our Sanctuary Maps, along with examples of where they have appeared, to help show the role ISW is proud to have played in tracking ISIS.

1. Since ISISstormed onto the world'sstage on June 10, 2014 with itsseizure of Mosul, the Institute for the
Study of War hasbeen the institution of record for tracking ISIS. The ISW "ISISSanctuary M ap" quickly
became an iconic image of the conflict raging acrossSyriaand Iraq. It hasbeen used hundredsof times,
in several languages, and adapted for such usesaselectronic backdropson CN N , Fox, and other news
broadcasts. When developing a1,200 year history of Iraq in maps, TheNational Geographicused only one
source for itsmap of the recent conflict: ISW.
The ISISSanctuary M apsfrom the last 14 months(and longer -- see below) show how ISW hastracked
the conflict and become the recognized expert on ISIS'sexpansion. Aswe approach the one-year
anniversary of U.S. and coalition airstrikesagainst ISIS, we have collected all our Sanctuary M aps, along
with examplesof where they have appeared, to help show the role ISW isproud to have played in
tracking ISIS.
TrackingISISSince(Before)
theIslamicState
Answer: Septem ber 2013
10 m onths beforeMosul fell.
Question: When was the first ISIS
Sanctuary M ap published?

2. "The Islamic State of
Iraq isno longer a
terrorist group. It is
an army."
KimKagan, PBS News
Hour, 6/10/14
10 June 2014
Mosul Falls to ISIS
ISW'sResearch Director, JessicaLewisMcFate.
Former Army intel officer on the ground in Iraq:
The go-to mediaexpert on tracking ISIS.

3. "We have asituation
that isno longer 'in
the box' of the Iraqi
Government."
Kimberly Kagan
CSIS Live
07/17/14

4. Secretary of Defense Hagel and Chairman of the Joint
ChiefsGEN Dempsey testify to the Senate Armed
ServicesCommittee in front of an adaptation of the ISW
Sanctuary M ap.
Airstrikes Begin in Syria
The night airstrikesbegan in Syria, CN N used
our map asthe backdrop for itscoverage. And it
wason the front page of TheWashingtonPost the
next day.
Tracking airstrikesmeant
tracking ISIS, using ISW'smap.
Lt.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, Commander of Canadian Joint Operation
Command, holdsabriefing on combat strikesagainst the Islamic
State (Nov. 4, 2014)

5. Control of territory
meant control of key
assets, including water
resources.
The Sanctuary M ap comesto life courtesy of The
NewYork Times(above) and TheWall Street Journal
(below). Click on the linksfor the animated versions.

6. Other groupsused our map for private briefings.

7. Ramadi falls
"Attack on
Ramadi 'not a
strategic
surprise'."
Kimberly Kagan
BloombergBusiness
05/28/15
"Thisiswhat happens
when apolicy of
half-measures,
restrictionsand
posturing meetsa
skillful and determined
enemy on the
battlefield."
Kimberly Kagan
TheWashingtonPost
05/18/15
Palmyra falls

8. When analyzing the effects
of 9 monthsof coalition
airstrikes, DefenseOne used
the ISISSanctuary M ap as
itsbase.

9. Since the fall of Mosul, ISW's ISISSanctuary Map
has been featured in--