This series includes disturbing language and scenes of graphic violence.

Prologue

The Mission

The war on terror has cost the U.S. billions and has been fought for nearly 20 years. Times reporter Rukmini Callimachi asks the question “Who are we really fighting?”

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Chapter One

The Reporter

Rukmini describes the reality of being on the terrorism beat and why she brings trash bags with her to the frontlines of the war against ISIS.

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Chapter Two

Recruitment

Who is it that ISIS appeals to, and how? Rukmini speaks with a former ISIS member about how and why he joined the fold.

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Chapter Three

The Arrival

ISIS turns fantasy into reality for a new recruit.

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Chapter Four

Us vs. Them

A new recruit proves his worth and gets invited to a secret meeting.

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Chapter Five

The Heart

The recruit carried out the killing. Then he questioned everything.

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Chapter Six

Paper Trail

“Something was off.” Rukmini’s doubt fuels a quest to uncover the truth.

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Chapter Seven

Mosul

What did ISIS leave behind as their hold on Mosul crumbled?

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Chapter Eight

The Briefcase

We found a trove of secret documents after Mosul fell. It led us to the mother of an ISIS official.

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Chapter Nine - Part One

Prisoners

Slavery was enmeshed in the theology of ISIS. Rukmini speaks to an ISIS detainee who challenges her to find the girl he enslaved. She does.

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Chapter Nine - Part Two

Prisoners

After three years in ISIS captivity, a young Yazidi girl returns to her family. Rukmini is there to witness it.

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Chapter Ten

One Year Later

What does the future hold for the ISIS returnee who confessed to murder? And what does he believe now?

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Produced by Andy Mills

Reported by Rukmini Callimachi and Andy Mills

Managing Producer Larissa Anderson

Edited by Wendy Dorr and Larissa Anderson

Associate Producer Asthaa Chaturvedi

Technical Director Brad Fisher

Music by William Brittelle, Andy Mills, Nate Henricks, Cliff Martinez, Brad Fisher, Taku Sugimoto, David Wingo

Art Direction Antonio de Luca and Agnes Lee

Digital Design Gray Beltran

Executive Producer, NYT Audio Lisa Tobin

Editorial Director, NYT Audio Samantha Henig

Assistant Managing Editor, NYT Sam Dolnick

Special ThanksMichael Slackman, Abu Malik, Hawk, Salman Masood, Eric Schmitt, Adam Goldman, Ron Nixon, Malachy Browne, Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Nasser Weddady, Kassem Hamade, Mubin Shaikh, Tug Wilson, Alan Trappe, Jon McCormac, Tony Rippon, Walid Husain, Abduljabbar Yousif, Scott Shane, AJ Chavar, Karam Shoumali, Muhammad Nashat Mahmud, James Pettit, Anat Agron, Graeme Wood, Derek Henry Flood, Joel Lovell