title: Islamic State, Syria's civil war and the reshaping of the Middle East : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Defence and Security Studies at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
abstract: The Islamic State grew out of the ashes of a defeated al-Qaeda in Iraq. The&#13;\ncontinued conflicts in Iraq and Syria have provided the catalyst for a resurgent Islamic&#13;\nState. Syria’s civil war has allowed the Islamic State to remerge like a terrorist phoenix,&#13;\nreborn from its own ashes. This thesis analyses the origins of the Islamic State, and the&#13;\ngeo-political conditions and on-going conflicts in Iraq and Syria which have permitted&#13;\nthe growth and expansion of the Isla