The total number of attacks reported by ISIS in 2013, by type of attack, shows that improvised explosive devices were the most prominent form of attack. Given the group’s operation as a terrorist organization, such attacks are common as they require less specialized equipment and instill fear in resident populations.
The fear instilled in communities is not limited to those countries where ISIS has a significant presence. A number of attacks in the United States linked to ISIS have meant that there is a desire among Americans for the government to combat the threat. According to a 2014 survey, 60 percent of American citizens approved of U.S. military action in Iraq and Syria against ISIS. Furthermore, over 80 percent of the American population in 2014 believed that ISIS presented at least an important threat to the vital interests of the United States.
Despite calls from then-candidate Donald Trump to remove the revenue streams of ISIS by bombing oil facilities in territories held by the group, oil revenues amounted to less than one tenth of the group’s revenue in 2014. Instead, the vast majority of ISIS's revenue was obtained through extortion and taxation in Iraq, alongside funds stolen from state-owned banks.
Obviously, disdain for the extremist group is widespread beyond the country the Islamic State see as the leader of a global movement to suppress Islam. Although the group has sought to wage an ideological war in the name of Islam, the organization's extremist stance has led to the majority of followers of Islam around the world being critical of the group and their chances of success. A survey of youth from 17 Muslim majority countries, including Iraq, showed that more than three quarters of respondents believed ISIS would be unsuccessful in their attempts to establish an Islamic state.
