Islamic State

The Digital Caliphate

Abdel-Bari Atwan

• Publisher: Saqi Books
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN:
  9780863561955
• eBook ISBN:
  9780863561016
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Middle Eastern Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Based on interviews with Islamic State insiders, Abdel Bari Atwan reveals the origins and modus operandi of the fastest-growing and richest terrorist group in the world. Outlining its leadership structure and strategies, Atwan describes the group's ideological differences with al-Qa`ida and why IS appear to pose a greater threat to the West. He shows how it has masterfully used social media, Hollywood `blockbuster'-style videos, and even jihadi computer games to spread its message and to recruit young people, from Tunisia to Bradford. As Islamic State continues to dominate the world's media headlines with acts of ruthless violence, Atwan considers its chances of survival and offers indispensable insight into potential government responses to contain the IS threat.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1 Masters of the Digital Universe
• 2 The Origins – Part One: Iraq
• 3 The Origins – Part Two: The Taliban, al-Qa‘ida and IS
• 4 The Origins – Part Three: Syria
• 5 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: A Portrait of ‘Caliph Ibrahim’
• 6 Consolidation and Expansion
• 7 Within Islamic State
• 8 The Management of Savagery
• 9 The Caliph’s Foreign Fighters
• 10 A Dangerous Game: The West’s Attempts to Exploit Radical Islam
• 11 Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism and Islamic State
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgements
• Notes
• Index
• About the Author
• Copyright