Islamic State and the Coming Global Confrontation

This book seeks to analyze the origins and§organizational structure of Islamic State (IS), the reasons for its military§triumphs and its success in securing new recruits via social media.§§From its base in Iraq and Syria, IS has spread§globally with 17 regional affiliates from Indonesia to Nigeria. In addition it§has established sleeper cells in no fewer than 60 countries. The recent§terrorist atrocity in Paris highlights the havoc these cells are capable of. In§an effort to understand the nature of the threat posed, this book seeks to§provide insights into the organizational structure of IS as well as its§underlying ideology. Both of these render Western efforts to decapitate the§leadership of IS superfluous.§§Through swiftly adapting its military strategy, developing§creative forms of funding as well as its efforts to win hearts and minds of§locals, IS has managed to grow despite the efforts of the Western military§alliance and that of local partners arrayed against it. Indeed, the competing§individual national interests within the alliance have actually served to§strengthen IS. With its ideology§spreading ever further, a looming violent confrontation between democratic and§Islamist forces seems inevitable. This volume speaks to academics in international§relations, security studies and strategic studies, policy-makers and interested parties.§