Various Islamist leaders, with roots in and with Al Queda “created” ISIS, separate from Al Queda, and nothing about that was something that was certain to happen due to anything the U.S. did. It was something - a method of Islamist jihad CHOSEN by certain Islamist terrorist leaders. It was NEVER an inevitable consequence of anything.
Was the U.S. war in Iraq USED by Islamist terrorist leaders as an excuse for their war, against other Iraqis and U.S. troops. Yes. But to call the U.S. actions as an inevitable “cause” for their terroristic warfare is intellectually dishonest.
What came to be known as ISIS was on its knees, strategically, as just a remnant, before Iraq was turned over to Maliki and Obama. THEY lost the internal security stance of Iraq, helped feed the war against Assad that destabilized Syria and provided a training ground and armed sanctuary outside of Iraq for ISIS to grow in.
Minus the errors of Maliki and Obama, ISIS would have remained a minor terrorist remnant, held down strategically as such in Iraq.
Nice summation.