Following the attacks in Paris, Brussels and in the United States, the question remains what strategy, if any, ISIS is employing in the West. The question is not an easy one to answer. Unlike al Qaeda, ISIS encourages independently enacted jihad, which suggests a distinct organisational structure. Unlike the semi-hierarchical structure of al Qaeda, ISIS can be characterised as loose, uncoupled, and fluid in nature.
By Max Quigley & Tasia Wagner
IISA Neo-Jihadism & Transitional Challenges programme
