Martin Reardon Speaks to Bloomberg News: Islamic State is Dying on the Battlefield-and Winning on the Internet

July 21, 2017

Islamic State is Dying on the Battlefield-and Winning on the Internet

Bloomberg
By: Romesh Ratnesar

 

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After Iraqi forces reclaimed control of Mosul, the country’s second-largest city, on July 10, Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared “total victory” over Islamic State. The American commander of the global coalition to defeat the group, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, said the loss of Mosul had dealt a “decisive blow” to the terrorist organization …
Yet as Islamic State evolves from a self-governing quasi- state to a networked global insurgency, “the threat of ISIS-inspired attacks may grow, including on Western targets such as the United States,” according to a July 18 report, “Countering ISIS and Its Effects,” by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The more territory it loses, the more it will use online platforms to inspire followers to carry out violence in their home countries …
At its peak, Islamic State commanded an army of 40,000 foreign fighters (including 6,000 from Europe) in Iraq and Syria. Much of that cadre was killed during the fight for Mosul, according to Martin Reardon, senior vice president for The Soufan Group, a private intelligence firm staffed by former senior U.S. and European intelligence officials. The ferocity of the fighting forced much of the civilian population to flee the city. The remaining Islamic State militants, who number in the thousands, “are not just going to say the war is over and then have kids and settle down on the farm,” says Reardon …

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To read the full article please click on the link below:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-20/islamic-state-is-dying-on-the-battlefield-and-winning-on-the-internet

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