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Impact Factor:1.606 | Ranking:Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary 19 out of 95 | Political Science 30 out of 161
Source:2014 Journal Citation Reports® (Thomson Reuters, 2015)

Using the Mistakes of al Qaeda's Franchises to Undermine Its Strategies

Abstract

Since the invasion of Iraq, al Qaeda has used “franchises” to expand its global reach. Al Qaeda offered these franchises very little, except its name, reputation, and ideology. Because of al Qaeda's minimal investment, destroying the franchise groups will accomplish very little against the mother organization. Instead, the United States should use al Qaeda's franchises as a vehicle to attack al Qaeda's name, reputation, and ideas. Al Qaeda's franchises are more prone to strategic mistakes than their namesake; those errors should be used as the cornerstone of a narrative to highlight al Qaeda's ideological failings. Al Qaeda in Iraq has been particularly mistake-prone. Three mistakes in particular offer opportunities to undermine al Qaeda's ideology: attacks against Muslim civilians, the declaration of the Islamic State of Iraq, and infighting with other Iraqi insurgent groups.

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This Article

  1. doi: 10.1177/0002716208316650 The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science vol. 618 no. 1 46-54

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