Extreme brutality is not incompatible with establishing a new state. It may not be the wisest course of action, and it probably won’t create a state many people would want to live in. But that doesn’t mean it won’t work, according to William McCants in his book The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State. The book provides a range of sobering insights into the organisation which has overtaken Al Qaeda as the most obnoxious in the world.
Where did it all start? The author traces the rise of the Islamic State back to 1999, when a hot-headed Jordanian named abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi visited Afghanistan to join al-Qaeda. After the collapse of the Taliban, Zarqawi relocated his operations to Iraq, ready to conduct guerrilla warfare during the anticipated American invasion, and to conduct sectarian warfare on behalf of the Sunnis against the Shi’a. By 2006, Zarqawi’s ambitions extended beyond al Qaeda to the formation of an Islamic State and, although he was killed by the US in June 2006, an Islamic State was proclaimed in October 2006 by his followers.
The Islamic State foundered for its first several years, being a state in no more than ideology. However, the organisation strengthened significantly in 2013 and 2014, and in June 2014 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was named caliph. As a Caliphate, it now claimed authority over all Muslims in the world, and many Muslims from other countries who found the Islamic State’s apocalyptic worldview persuasive flocked to take up arms is support of the Caliph in Iraq and Syria.
The book provides extensive insights into the Islamic State’s history, leadership and beliefs. Some of the most interesting insights are based on correspondence between al Qaeda and various Islamic State leaders which has come into the public domain. The motivations and modes of thought of Islamic State leaders are poorly understood in Western countries. This book should help to address that lack of knowledge.