Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) are now looking to establish another “state” in Iraq as militants increased their attacks on strategic targets

Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) are now looking to establish another “state” in Iraq as militants increased their attacks on strategic targets.

A signpost in Iraq’s western desert dubs the territory the “Islamic State of Iraq,” and the territory’s relatively little tie to the Maliki government has them convinced that’s a claim they can enforce. A short video of the sign was broadcast on militants websites last month and reflects a long-held goal of Al-Qaeda fighters to establish an Islamic emirate.

ISIL insurgents have increased attacks on strategic targets in parts of western Iraq in the past three months in a bid to make their putative state a reality, security officials and analysts say.

With al-Qaeda increasingly in control of northwestern Syria, the establishment on a second state in western Iraq presents a major challenge for both the Maliki government and the Syrian Kurds.

Syrian Kurdistan ousted AQI from their territory in a series of decisive victories, but keeping them out looks to be a big challenge going forward, and dramatically moreso if they border Kurdistan and both sides. This is likely to force Iraqi Kurdistan’s hand in aiding them and further the regionalization of the war.