War is a state of incessant conflict when the legal codes and moral laws that govern interactions in civil society are turned on their heads and momentarily cease to exist.Since the beginning of recorded history, some of the most atrocious crimes have been committed under the shadow of war and anarchy. In some instances, these war-time barbarous acts, such as the Nazi genocide of Jews, the Hiroshima/Nagasaki nuclear bombings and the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, have had the effect of completely altering the course of history.The rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the corresponding wars in the Middle East has been no exception to this rule. These Sunni jihadist militants have expressed their desire for political self-determination in extremely brutal ways that has left the world horrified. Over the past few months, the media has been flooded with images of decapitations, mass executions and other heinous activities by this group. These atrocities have subsequently attracted widespread condemnation - even from fellow hard line terrorists, such as al Qaeda, who have since disowned the new terrorist organization. The extent of the rapacious brutality of this group has forced World leaders to quickly authorize air strikes on the Islamic States' weapon stockpile and top leaders in a bid to stifle their rise.