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Watch a Captured ISIS Jihadist Explain How the US Created the Islamic State

In anticipation of our new 'VICE' on HBO Special Report, 'Fighting ISIS,' premiering January 31, here's a special sneak peek from the documentary today.

Note: Thumbnail image is a Peshmerga soldier in Kurdistan, not an ISIS jihadist.

The invasion of Iraq was supposed to turn the country into a democracy that minimized the external threat to the United States and potentially the rest of the world. Thirteen years later, however, Iraq has collapsed into warring states. A third of the country is controlled by ISIS and the extremist group has also annexed huge amounts of land in Syria, increasing its influence in the Middle East.

Next Sunday, HBO will premiere our latest Special Report, Fighting ISIS. In it, VICE journalist Ben Anderson embeds with Iraqi fighters battling the Islamic State and gains access to three separate front lines in Iraq, where Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish forces are fighting for their lives.

In anticipation of the report's premiere on January 31, we're releasing a special sneak peek of the documentary today.

Watch the video above, and make sure to tune in for the full-length version of Fighting ISIS on HBO Sunday, January 31, at 10 PM EST—five days before our Emmy award-winning HBO series kicks off its fourth season on February 5 at 11 PM.