For this Module, one of your readings

For this Module, one of your readings was titled “Groups, Networks, or Movements: A Command-and-Control-Driven Approach to Classifying Terrorist Organizations and Its Application to Al Qaeda.” This article was written in 2006 and much have changed since. In the Lecture video I gave examples of how this approach was used to analyze the structure of al Qaeda through the lenses of specific attacks that has occurred since this article was first published. For this weeks discussion post, I would like you to use the Command and Control Driven approach to classify ISIS. (In case you were wonderings this assignment is one of the reasons no one can pick ISIS for their research paper.) You will need to support your conclusions with specific examples and you will probably need to use more than one outside source for your post. (This is one reasons my I was not too heavy with the required readings for this week) I will need a the following for response types I will post the responses in the below drop down for you to answer. For your “Question/Comment”, answer any question I pose to your initial post, ask a question of comment on the other students post on your discussion team. For your “Response Posts” respond to and questions or comments on your initial post from the other students. TITLE: Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues 7th Edition AUTHOR: Martin, GusPUBLISHER: Sage PublicationsDATE: 2020ISBN: 978-1544375861 Post 1- ask a question of comment on the other students post on your discussion team.It goes without saying that terrorist groups efforts to evolve over time have intensely complicated how to properly classify them along with their structures and capabilities. When studying terrorist groups, analytical efforts have initially focused on classifying and formulating a description based on the structures they choose to adopt. Many times, the point of focus has been on the advantages of networked, flexible organizations for terrorist compared to more traditional hierarchical organizations. ISIS is a militant organization that emerged as a branch of Al Qaeda in 2014. It immediately took control of the largest parts of Iraq and Syria, while raising its black flag in victory and declaring the creation of caliphate and imposing a strict Islamic rule. The Command-and-Control Driven approach focuses on four individuals, a central member, and three members connected to the central leader. In terms of describing the activities of ISIS in a more clear, real-world case, nature of authority, ISIS could be classified and perceived as being under Strategic and tactical control. Therefore, the leader has the ability to define the top-level goals and aims for the group along with the ability to control and influence the specific activities an individual member of the organization carries out on a daily basis. Significant tactical control or influence requires direct and consistent contact. When a specific terrorist organization, for example ISIS, adopts a nature of the authority relationship that will continually exist within the organization, the basis of categorization makes it easier to bring together a range of analyses and terminologies from across the terrorism literature along with building straight-forward meanings for terms such as terrorist group, network, and movement. ISIS in terms of being an operational control or influence can be portrayed within the terrorist attack that included Bin Ladens specific approval of the 9/11 attacks and the involvement in the selection of targets. Overall, ISIS is a tightly coupled group, the commanders or leaders within the group have the ability to exert strategic and tactical control. With the appropriate communication outlets that directly connects the leader to all functional parts of the organization, the leaders can design and implement plans that will be aimed at complex strategies requiring the collaboration and sequencing of many different activities in many components of the organization. As mentioned in the lecture video, Al Qaeda and ISIS remain intent on striking their most intense enemy, the United States directly at the homeland or their outlets overseas. Both are a structured hierarchical organization, who obtain a loose global network of affiliates, and are defined as a group of unconnected “homegrown terrorist.” Today, they are defined as more of a social movement rather than an actual organization. They have a goal to change the social subject of society in line with the ideology dictated by the global Salafi-Jihad movement. Social movements have emerged from already existing social networks while serving as the foundation for the organizations infrastructure. Examples of pre-existing social networks would be the Muslim Brotherhood, Afghan Arabs, Terror Camp Alumni, Homegrown Terrorist, and Wannabes Terrorist. In regard to the Command-and-Control Approach, tightly coupled groups are the equivalent to hierarchical organizations. Tactical or influential control allows leadership to directly control and influence the specific activities of individual members or components. A direct example would be the attacks of 9/11. Next, coupled networks where operational control or influence is the ability of the leaders to control the activities and operations being carried out in pursuit of the organizations strategic goals. Lastly, loosely coupled movement covers the strategic control or influence is the ability of the organization to define top level goals aimed at the group. The 2005 London bombings would be defined as a tightly coupled group, where Al Qaeda exerted strategic, operational, and tactical control. Al Qaedas presence in Iraq would be considered a coupled network where strategic and operational control was portrayed. The group would now act as Al Qaedas franchise in Iraq to expel the United States. The Hafstrag group, categorized as a loosely coupled movement is an example of Al Qaeda using strategic control only. In conclusion, ISIS has taken their efforts to a new and more intense level as they have expanded their organization. In order to get a better understanding of how to properly classify and develop a description based on the structures that ISIS chose to adapt, the point of focus should be on the advantages of networked, flexible organizations for terrorist compared to more traditional hierarchical organizations. Jackson, B. A. (2006). Groups, networks, or movements: a command-and-control-driven approach to classifying terrorist organizations and its application to Al Qaeda. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 29(3), 241-262.Martin, G. (2021). Understanding terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and issues. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Wittorowica, Q. (2006). Anatomy of the Salafi movement. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 29(3), 207-239Timeline: The rise, spread, and fall of the islamic state. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-the-… Post 2 – ask a question of comment on the other students post on your discussion team.ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is a Sunni jihadist group with a particularly violent ideology that calls itself a caliphate and claims religious authority over all Muslims (Rhoades & Mitch 2021). ISIS is a Salafi (ultra-conservative reform movement within Sunni Islam) militant organization (INC, 2016). The origins of this organization can be broken down into two groups Former Baathist followers of Saddam Hussein and former members of Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaedas infrastructure and training provided by the foundation for the creation of ISIS; ISIS learned from the mistakes of Al-Qaeda by adopting a more organized approach and set agenda (INC, 2016). ISIS was born once the US intervened in Iraq. ISIS roots were established back in 2006, however, the organization did not become so relevant until 2013. The version of Wahhabism that ISIS follows the teachings of Mohammed Ibn Said, who promoted the use of military jihad to fulfill personal political agendas (INC, 2016). ISIS murders anyone who disagrees with its agenda, uses apocalyptic theology, and justifies its actions through scripture and old school practices. ISIS has different ways to gain financial resources. They include money from oil sales, taxation of people in areas it controls, and randoms from kidnapping and looting of artifacts (INC, 2016). What makes ISIS so appealing to those who join? Younger men that have extremist tendencies can be drawn to ISIS due to the nature and violence of the cause, a revolutionary narrative draws in those who escaped discrimination, and recruits are told they must make a “hijrah” to the Islamic State (INC, 2016). The main view of ISIS in the US is that it is a political movement, regardless of its religious association, it is a terrorist organization that exploits Islam and its scripture to fulfill political agendas and justify mass killings of innocent people (INC, 2016). Another view of ISIS is that it is a religious organization that uses extreme measures to promote its beliefs. ISIS was later renamed the Islamic State. The Islamic State does not follow Al-Qaedas “far enemy” strategy, preferring instead the “near enemy” strategy on a regional level. The Islamic States’ main target has been apostate regimes in the Arab world (Byman, 2015). The goal of the Islamic State is to control territory and grow its power regionally. The Islamic State wants to create a government where Muslims can live under Islamic law; creating this state electrifies many Muslims who embrace the group (Byman, 2015). The Islamic State was born out of civil war and the tactics used to reflect that upbringing. The Islamic State uses mass executions, public beheading, rape, and symbolic crucifixion displays to terrorize the population into submission and “purify” the community, and at the same time provides basic services (Byman, 2015). Sources:Byman, D. L. (2015, July 28). Comparing al Qaeda and Isis: Different goals, different targets. Brookings. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.brookings.edu/testimonies/comparing-al-qaeda-and-isis-different-goals-different-targets/. INC. (2016). An Overview of ISIS. Islamic Networks Group (ING). Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://ing.org/an-overview-of-isis/.

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