The Islamic State: A Comparative History of Jihadist Warfare

Description

This book analyses the Islamic State (IS) within a comparative framework of past Sunni jihadist movements. It argues jihadist failure to overthrow Muslim apostate states has led to a progressive radicalization of violent Islamist terror networks. This outcome has contributed over time to more brutal jihadist doctrines and tactics contributing to a total war doctrine strategy targeting Muslim apostate states (the near enemy), non-Muslim civilizations ( the far enemy) and sectarian minorities (heterodox Muslims and Christians). These extremist tendencies have been building for over a generation and have reached their culmination in the rise and fall of the Islamic State’s caliphate. Given past tendencies the emergence of yet even more radical Sunni jihadist movement is probable. Cover......Page 2 Half-Title......Page 3 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Introduction......Page 9 1 Jihadist Insurgency: Failure and Destruction Breed Regeneration......Page 21 2 Islamic Regression, Jihadist Frustration, and Takfirist Hyper Violence......Page 31 3 The Islamic State’s “Fifth Wave” Islamist Worldview......Page 62 4 The Islamic State’s Impact on Jihadist Insurgency in Iraq and Syria......Page 88 5 The Islamic State’s Reorientation of Jihad in Egypt and Libya......Page 127 6 The Islamic State’s Impact on the Jihadist War in Nigeria and Mali......Page 158 7 The Islamic State’s Totalistic War against the West......Page 195 8 The Jihadist Forever War......Page 241 Index......Page 258 About the Author......Page 276