Islamic State: The Digital CaliphateUniv of California Press, 2015 M09 8 - 256 pages Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL, and Daesh) stunned the world when it overran an area the size of Great Britain on both sides of the Iraq-Syria border in a matter of weeks and proclaimed the birth of a new Caliphate. In this timely and important book, Abdel Bari Atwan draws on his unrivaled knowledge of the global jihadi movement and Middle Eastern geopolitics to reveal the origins and modus operandi of Islamic State. Based on extensive field research and exclusive interviews with IS insiders, Islamic State outlines the group's leadership structure, as well as its strategies, tactics, and diverse methods of recruitment. Atwan traces the Salafi-jihadi lineage of IS, its ideological differences with al Qaeda and the deadly rivalry that has emerged between their leaders. He also shows how the group's rapid growth has been facilitated by its masterful command of social media platforms, the "dark web," Hollywood blockbuster-style videos, and even jihadi computer games, producing a powerful paradox where the ambitions of the Middle Ages have reemerged in cyberspace. As Islamic State continues to dominate the world's media headlines with horrific acts of ruthless violence, Atwan considers the movement's chances of survival and expansion and offers indispensable insights on potential government responses to contain the IS threat. |
Contents
9 | |
15 | |
Iraq | 32 |
The Taliban al Qaeda and IS | 59 |
Syria | 79 |
A Portrait of Caliph Ibrahim | 110 |
6 Consolidation and Expansion | 122 |
7 Within Islamic State | 137 |
8 The Management of Savagery | 153 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Abu Bakr Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Afghanistan al Qaeda al-Assad al-Maliki al-Nusra al-Shabaab al-Sham Alawite allegiance American Ansar AQAP Arab Spring arms Army Assad attacks Ayman al-Zawahiri Ba‘ath Baghdadi Bashar Bashar al-Assad battle bayat bombs border brigades caliphate campaign commanders Council cyber Damascus declared emir established extremist Facebook fight forces foreign fighters foreign jihadists funding global Hafez ideological insurgency Internet Iran Iraq Iraq and Syria Iraq’s Iraqi ISIS Islamic State’s Islamist January jihad jihadist groups jihadists join killed Kurdish leader leadership Libya Middle East migrated military mosque Mosul Muhammad mujahideen Muslim Brotherhood Osama bin Laden percent political Qaeda Qur’an radical rebel recruits regime reported revolution Saddam Hussein Salafist Saud Saudi Arabia sectarian September 2014 Sharia Shi‘a Shi‘i social media platforms soldiers Sunni Syria Taliban targets territories troops Turkey Twitter United violence Wahhabism West Western women Zarqawi Zawahiri