INTELWIRE Weekly Brief, 8/28/2015, New Books, Junaid Hussain Killed, And More

FORTHCOMING BOOKS 

Two important books are on the horizon for September, and both were the subjects of recent previews.

The ISIS Apocalypse
William McCants
The Islamic State is one of the most lethal and successful jihadist groups in modern history, surpassing even al-Qaeda. Thousands of its followers have marched across Syria and Iraq, subjugating millions, enslaving women, beheading captives, and daring anyone to stop them. Thousands more have spread terror beyond the Middle East under the Islamic State's black flag. How did the Islamic State attract so many followers and conquer so much land? By being more ruthless, more apocalyptic, and more devoted to state-building than its competitors.

Read a preview at Politico

Operation Troy: A Terrorist, a President, and the Rise of the Drone
"Objective Troy" tells the gripping and unsettling story of Anwar al-Awlaki, the once-celebrated American imam who called for moderation after 9/11, a man who ultimately directed his outsized talents to the mass murder of his fellow citizens. It follows Barack Obama’s campaign against the excesses of the Bush counterterrorism programs and his eventual embrace of the targeted killing of suspected militants. And it recounts how the president directed the mammoth machinery of spy agencies to hunt Awlaki down in a frantic, multi-million-dollar pursuit that would end with the death of Awlaki by a bizarre, robotic technology that is changing warfare—the drone.

Read a preview at The New York Times Magazine

And on sale now: ISIS: The State of Terror, by Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Rethinking Political Islam
A collection of working papers that systematically assess the evolution of mainstream Islamist groups across 12 country cases. Curated by Shadi Hamid and Will McCants.

Wilayat West Africa Reboots for the Caliphate
This article will discuss how Wilayat West Africa militants responded to the military offensive and analyze the extent to which the militants were able to withstand the offensive tactically, strategically, and in terms of morale. By Jacob Zenn.

ISIS WATCH

The Islamic State’s Destruction of Antiquities And How it Fits With A Broader Strategy For Power
Graeme Wood, Akbar Ahmed, and Will McCants take a look at the Islamic State’s acts of cultural destruction and how the world is responding.

Junaid Hussain, ISIS Recruiter, Reported Killed in Airstrike
A 21-year-old hacker from Birmingham, England, who tapped into American military networks and was a central figure in the Islamic State militant group’s online recruitment campaign, has been killed in Syria by an American airstrike, according to three senior American officials.

Inquiry Weighs Whether ISIS Analysis Was Distorted
The Pentagon’s inspector general is investigating allegations that military officials have skewed intelligence assessments about the United States-led campaign in Iraq against the Islamic State to provide a more optimistic account of progress, according to several officials familiar with the inquiry.

Northern Virginia teen sentenced to 11 years for aiding Islamic State
The Northern Virginia teenager who ran a prolific, pro-Islamic State Twitter account and helped a young friend join the terrorist group in Syria was sentenced Friday to 11 years and four months in federal prison — a term less than what prosecutors had sought but one that will still put the youth behind bars into his late 20s.

Arizona man Charged With Supporting ISIS
Ahmed Mohammed El Gammal, also known as Jammie Gammal, 42, of Avondale, Arizona, has been charged with supporting ISIS by helping a New York college student get terror training in Syria.

A provocative article says the Islamic State is a mystery. Here’s why that’s wrong.
While this piece may reflect the prevailing mood among former diplomats, political scientists are far less baffled. The systematic study of political violence further illuminates three key elements of the perceived “mystery” of the Islamic State: its treatment of civilians, battlefield tactics and broad strategy

YouTube's Battle Against ISIS
It wants videos with "reasonable messages, better messages" to drown out extremism, and is recruiting Muslims to make them. But will it work?

TERROR WATCH

Saudi Arabia holding main suspect in 1996 Khobar Towers bombing: report
Asharq al-Awsat said Ahmed al-Mughassil, leader of the Hezbollah al-Hejaz who had been indicted by a U.S. court for the attack that killed 19 U.S. service personnel and wounded almost 500 people, had been captured in the Lebanese capital Beirut and transferred to Riyadh.

Jurors view police video of F. Glenn Miller Jr. just after his arrest in anti-Jewish fatal shootings
Jurors on Tuesday got a close-up look at F. Glenn Miller Jr. after his arrest last year, minutes after he allegedly killed three people at Jewish centers in Overland Park.

Top Racists And Neo-Nazis Back Donald Trump
America’s white nationalists have spoken, and they’ve spoken loud and clear: Donald Trump is their presidential candidate of choice. For his part, the candidate is not welcoming their support.

Train attack suspect hit with terror charges
The Moroccan suspect in a foiled attack on a high-speed train was hit Wednesday with terrorism charges after prosecutors argued he planned to unleash carnage among hundreds travelling from Belgium to France.


Buy the new book ISIS: The State of Terror by Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger.

Buy J.M. Berger's seminal book on American jihadists, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam

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