Publication

This commentary looks at how the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has evolved in its operations and in the way it attracts followers one year after it declared the establishment of the so-called Caliphate, and also at what needs to be done to contain the group's spread. The author argues that ISIS has a master narrative, and opposing ISIS requires a master narrative as well, one that is more aspirational that just negating ISIS propaganda. The author warns that ISIS state-building is not necessarily doomed to fail, and that policymakers, security agencies, and the think tank community should start attempting to better understand the long-term implications of this prognosis.