Publication

This paper examines 1) the so-called Islamic State’s systematic expansion into the Tri-Border Area (TBA) adjoining the Southern Philippines, and 2) its potential impact on an already restive region. As the text’s author sees it, the extremist group is benefiting from the lack of organization and cooperation that exists among the TBA’s littoral states. Indeed, while they preoccupy themselves with territorial disputes and regional politicking, IS continues to thrive and multiply through the use of outreach and recruitment programs such as the Katibah Al-Muhajir (KaM).