Defeating ISIS

Last updated
Defeating ISIS
Defeating ISIS.jpg
Defeating ISIS
Author Malcolm Nance
Richard Engel (foreword)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Subject Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS)
Genre Counterterrorism
Publisher Skyhorse Publishing
Publication date
2016
Media typeHardcover
Pages544
ISBN 978-1510711846
OCLC 980515128
Preceded by The Terrorists of Iraq  
Followed by The Plot to Hack America  
Website Official website
[1] [2]

Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe is a non-fiction book about counterterrorism against ISIS. It was written by Malcolm Nance, a former cryptology analyst, with a foreword by Richard Engel. Its thesis is that ISIS is not part of Islam, instead, it functions as a separate destructive extremist group. He emphasizes the fact that the majority of those who have been harmed by ISIS are themselves Muslim. The book traces the history of the movement back to the history of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and it also discusses ISIS's combat style and recruiting tactics. Nance offers a four-point plan to defeat ISIS, including airpower and special forces, Internet tactics, strengthening the Syrian military, and engaging Arab world states. [1] [2]

Contents

Defeating ISIS made The New York Times Best Seller list at number nine for the week of July 3, 2016 in the section for "E-Book Nonfiction". [3] [4] [5] U.S. President Donald Trump stated he read Defeating ISIS while he was a candidate for president in 2016. [6] [7]

U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations retired Colonel Millard E. Moon reviewed the book for Journal of Strategic Security , and wrote, "This book is a good reference source for anyone in the professional field and for individuals seeking to understand the enemy and what we and our allies face." [1] Current Affairs reviewed the book and called the work, "One of the more intelligent, incisive mass-market books on ISIS". [2] The Australian gave the work a negative review. [8] Spencer Ackerman said Nance's books The Terrorists of Iraq and Defeating ISIS reflected the caliber of his expertise in the subject matter. [9]

Contents summary

Defeating ISIS argues that the group ISIS does not belong to the faith of Islam, and should instead be thought of as a separate destructive extremist group. The work is organized into four sections. The author provides historical context for the evolution of ISIS over time. The book emphasizes that the majority of ISIS's victims are Muslim. He argues that ISIS is attempting to annihilate Islam itself, and instead replace it with its own more inhumane practices. [1] [2] [10]

Nance ties the history of ISIS back to changing developments within Al-Qaeda. Nance ascribes growth of influence by ISIS directly to problems within U.S. leadership related to combating Al-Qaeda in Iraq. He provides an overview of ISIS management, soldiers, and command format. Defeating ISIS provides geographic descriptions of ISIS centers of influence globally, including Mali, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Lebanon, and Jordan. Nance discusses cultural differences within each locality. He details the practices of Boko Haram. He describes the Western influence of ISIS into countries including France, the U.S., Australia, and Turkey. He recounts the November 2015 Paris attacks and response to the incident. He provides the reader with a basis of ISIS operations within countries in Asia, states in the region of the Arabian Peninsula, Afghanistan, and Arab states of the Persian Gulf. [1] [2] [10]

The book describes the terrorist group's attempts to remake the world through jihad. Nance grounds the reader within the context of Islamic history, including the Battle of Nahrawan, controversy regarding Shia–Sunni relations, evolution of the Qarmatians, and the Mahdist War. Defeating ISIS details tactics of ISIS manipulation including psychological manipulation, behavior modification, and brainwashing. Nance writes that these strategies lead to gross violations of human rights, including sexual assault and child soldiers. Defeating ISIS describes ISIS combat tactics, with analysis of their armaments. Nance writes that ISIS usually engages in the military tactics of mountain warfare and frontal assault, later encouraging each other through social media discussing their combat operations. [1] [2] [10]

Defeating ISIS concludes with a strategy proposed by the author to weaken the organization both their combat operations and their ability to garner new followers. Nance lays forth a four-point plan, including: combat strategy with increased incorporation of airpower and special forces units, tactics to combat ISIS over the Internet, revitalization of the Syrian Armed Forces, and enlisting increased support from Arab world countries. [1] [2] [11]

Research and release

Malcolm Nance, author of Defeating ISIS Malcolm Nance.jpg
Malcolm Nance, author of Defeating ISIS

Malcolm Nance is a retired cryptology analyst. [12] [13] [14] He garnered expertise within the field of intelligence analysis. [5] [15] [16] Nance served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, from 1981 to 2001. [17] [18] He devoted years researching Middle East terrorism. [19] Nance founded a company providing advice to U.S. Special Operations, and created a survival tactics training center. [17] [18] He manages a think tank consisting of CIA and counterterrorism officers. [16] [18] His books on intelligence include An End to al-Qaeda , [20] Terrorist Recognition Handbook , [21] The Terrorists of Iraq , [22] The Plot to Hack America , [23] and Hacking ISIS. [24]

Prior to his work on Defeating ISIS, Nance had already extensively researched the topic, while writing a treatise specifically geared for the intelligence community to educate them in textbook format on the growth over time of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. [25] Defeating ISIS was contracted for publication with Skyhorse Publishing in November 2015, originally slated for a January 2017 release date. [26] Defeating ISIS was published in 2016 by Skyhorse Publishing in print format. [27] An e-book was published the same year. [28] It went through two more editions in 2016. [29] [30] W. W. Norton & Company published another edition in 2017. [31]

Defeating ISIS made The New York Times Best Seller list at number nine for the week of July 3, 2016, in the section for "E-Book Nonfiction". [3] [4] [5] U.S. President Donald Trump told Time magazine he read Defeating ISIS while he was a candidate for president in July 2016. [6] [7]

Reception

U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations retired Colonel Millard E. Moon reviewed the book for Journal of Strategic Security , and wrote, "Nance offers a compelling argument to support the concept of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as a cult set apart from the Islamic religion." [1] Moon said that, "Nance has done a really good job of providing detailed information about the growth and activities of ISIS components". [1] He praised the author's ability to structure the book as a reference resource, writing, "there is a wealth of factual information on ISIS". [1] As for the religious nature of the organization, Moon acknowledged, "Malcolm Nance does an excellent job of outlining what ISIS believes". [1] Moon concluded, "This book is a good reference source for anyone in the professional field and for individuals seeking to understand the enemy and what we and our allies face." [1]

Current Affairs journalist Adam Patterson called the book "One of the more intelligent, incisive mass-market books on ISIS." [2] Patterson emphasized, "The central value of Nance's work is ultimately written into its title. Defeating ISIS outlines that the jihadi group can, with intelligent application of diplomatic and counterinsurgency methods, be eventually defeated." [2] Rachel Maddow referenced this book as a source she used to educate herself about ISIS. [32] The book received a negative review by Paul Monk in The Australian . [8] Monk criticized the writing style, and disputed Nance's view that ISIS wished "to destroy Islam". [8] The Guardian national security reporter Spencer Ackerman praised the author's expertise, citing the caliber of his works The Terrorists of Iraq and Defeating ISIS. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abu Musab al-Zarqawi</span> Jordanian jihadist (1966–2006)

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh, was a Jordanian jihadist who ran a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. He became known after going to Iraq and being responsible for a series of bombings, beheadings, and attacks during the Iraq War, reportedly "turning an insurgency against US troops" in Iraq "into a Shia–Sunni civil war". He was sometimes known by his supporters as the "Sheikh of the slaughterers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic State</span> Salafi jihadist militant Islamist group

The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and by its Arabic acronym Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist group and a former unrecognised quasi-state. Its origins were in the Jai'sh al-Taifa al-Mansurah organization founded by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi in 2004, which fought alongside al-Qaeda during the Iraqi insurgency. The group gained global prominence in 2014, when its militants successfully captured large territories in northwestern Iraq and eastern Syria, taking advantage of the ongoing Syrian civil war. By the end of 2015, it ruled an area with an estimated population of twelve million people, where it enforced its extremist interpretation of Islamic law, managed an annual budget exceeding US$1 billion, and commanded more than 30,000 fighters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Nance</span> American author, former intelligence officer, and terrorism expert (born 1961)

Malcolm Wrightson Nance is an American author and media pundit. He is a former United States Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer specializing in naval cryptology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael S. Smith II</span> US counterterrorist

Michael S. Smith II is an American terrorism analyst, specialist in open source intelligence (OSINT), and a consultant in preventing and countering violent extremism. He is also a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University's Global Security Studies program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi</span> Amir al-Muminin of the Islamic State from 2013 to 2019

Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri, commonly known by his nom de guerreAbu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was an Iraqi militant who was the first caliph of the Islamic State (IS) from 2014 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic State of Iraq</span> Militant Salafist jihadist group in Iraq (2006–2013)

The Islamic State of Iraq, was a Salafi jihadist militant organization that fought the forces of the U.S.-led coalition during the Iraqi insurgency. The organization aimed to overthrow the Iraqi federal government and establish an Islamic state in Iraq.

The Battle of Markada was a military confrontation between two jihadist groups, al Qaeda's al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), over the town of Markada in the Al-Hasakah Governorate, in March 2014 during the Syrian civil war. The strategic importance of the town to the ISIL lay in its position on the group's weapons supply route from Iraq, the road linking Al-Hasakah with Deir ez-Zor and a hill that dominates the surrounding area. On the ISIL side there were many Sunni Iranians, including Kurds, who played an important role in the battle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military of the Islamic State</span> Military unit

The Military of the Islamic State is the fighting force of the Islamic State (IS). The total force size at its peak was estimated from tens of thousands to over two hundred thousand. IS's armed forces grew quickly during its territorial expansion in 2014. The IS military, including groups incorporated into it in 2014, openly operates and controls territory in multiple cities in Libya and Nigeria. In October 2016, it conquered the city of Qandala in Puntland, Somalia. It conquered much of eastern Syria and western Iraq in 2014, territory it lost finally only in 2019. It also has had border clashes with and made incursions into Lebanon, Iran, and Jordan. IS-linked groups operate in Algeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and in West Africa. In January 2015, IS was also confirmed to have a military presence in Afghanistan and in Yemen.

Qatar has been accused of allowing terror financiers to operate within its borders, which has been one of the justifications for the Qatar diplomatic crisis that started in 2017 and ended in 2021. In 2014, David S. Cohen, then United States Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, accused Qatari authorities of allowing financiers who were on international blacklists to live freely in the country: "There are U.S.- and UN-designated terrorist financiers in Qatar that have not been acted against under Qatari law." Accusations come from a wide variety of sources including intelligence reports, government officials, and journalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic State – Yemen Province</span> Branch of Islamic State, active in Yemen

The Islamic State – Yemen Province is a branch of the militant Islamist group Islamic State (IS), active in Yemen. IS announced the group's formation on 13 November 2014.

Collaboration with the Islamic State refers to the cooperation and assistance given by governments, non-state actors, and private individuals to the Islamic State (IS) during the Syrian Civil War, Iraqi Civil War, and Libyan Civil War.

<i>The Field of Fight</i>

The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and its Allies is a book on United States national security strategy coauthored by Michael T. Flynn and Michael Ledeen. Published by Macmillan's imprint St. Martin's Press in 2016, it argues that the United States is engaged in a religious world war against what the authors call "Radical Islam"—defined as a violent "tribal cult" emanating from a "failed civilization"—but has so far been hampered in its response by political correctness. The authors claim that the United States and its allies face "an international alliance of evil countries and movements that is working to destroy us" and advocate a combination of increased military action and ideological warfare in response. They identify a range of enemies of which Iran is the foremost, and advocate a strategy of regime change aimed at overthrowing the Iranian government as a key step towards defeating "Radical Islam".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clint Watts</span> Research fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute

Clint Watts is a senior fellow at the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University and a Foreign Policy Research Institute fellow. He previously was an infantry officer in the United States Army, and was the Executive Officer of the Combating Terrorism Center at United States Military Academy at West Point (CTC). He became a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he served on the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). He has consulted for the FBI Counterterrorism Division (CTD) and FBI National Security Branch (NSB).

<i>The Plot to Hack America</i> Non-fiction book by Malcolm Nance

The Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election is a non-fiction book by Malcolm Nance about the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. It was published in paperback, audiobook, and e-book formats in 2016 by Skyhorse Publishing. A second edition was also published the same year, and a third edition in 2017. Nance researched Russian intelligence, working as a Russian interpreter and studying KGB history.

<i>The Terrorists of Iraq</i> 2014 book by Malcolm Nance

The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003–2014 is a nonfiction book about the Iraqi insurgency, written by U.S. Navy retired cryptology analyst Malcolm Nance. It was published by CRC Press in 2014. The book discusses the terrorist evolution of the Iraqi insurgency which led to the formation of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). Nance cites the 2003 Iraq war by the Bush Administration for causing regional instability. He criticizes Coalition Provisional Authority leader Paul Bremer. The book emphasizes lessons the U.S. neglected to learn from the Vietnam War, the Iraqi revolt against the British, and the South Lebanon conflict. Nance writes in favor of the Iran nuclear deal framework by the Obama Administration, saying it is in the interests of all parties involved.

<i>An End to al-Qaeda</i> Book by Malcolm Nance

An End to al-Qaeda: Destroying Bin Laden's Jihad and Restoring America's Honor is a non-fiction book about counterterrorism strategies towards al-Qaeda, written by U.S. Navy retired cryptology analyst Malcolm Nance. The book describes how the September 11 attacks changed the traditional Muslim community around the globe. Nance criticizes the approach of the George W. Bush administration, including the verbiage and public presentations used in the War on Terror. The author argues al-Qaeda is not part of Islam but is instead a dangerous religious cult. Nance writes the United States should commit to better education with a public relations campaign to encourage traditional believers in Islam around the world to denounce al-Qaeda.

<i>Terrorist Recognition Handbook</i> Book by Malcolm Nance

Terrorist Recognition Handbook: A Practitioner's Manual for Predicting and Identifying Terrorist Activities is a non-fiction book about counterterrorism strategies, written by U.S. Navy retired cryptology analyst Malcolm Nance. The book is intended to help law enforcement and intelligence officials with the professional practice of behavior analysis and criminal psychology of anticipating potential terrorists before they commit criminal acts. Nance draws from the field of traditional criminal analysis to posit that detecting domestic criminals is similar to determining which individuals are likely to commit acts of terrorism. The book provides resources for the law enforcement official including descriptions of devices used for possible bombs, a database of terrorist networks, and a list of references used. Nance gives the reader background on Al-Qaeda tactics, clandestine cell systems and sleeper agents, and terrorist communication methods.

<i>Final Report of the Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel</i>

Final Report of the Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel is a report about counterterrorism and foreign fighters in the Syrian and Iraqi Civil Wars by a bipartisan task force of the United States House Committee on Homeland Security, with a foreword by cryptology analyst and author Malcolm Nance. The work was released by the United States Government Publishing Office in 2015 as an unillustrated committee print, by the United States House Committee on Homeland Security in September 2015 in an illustrated edition, and as a paperback book in 2016 by Skyhorse Publishing. The report discusses United States citizens leaving their country to gain fighting experience in Iraq and Syria on the battlefield. It notes some linked up with the Syrian Civil War in order to attempt to remove Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad from power, later joining ISIS. According to the work, approximately 4,500 from the Western world left their countries to join ISIS, including over 250 American citizens. The report gives thirty-two recommendations to address the problem, including tactics to stop travels of battlefield soldiers to and from their countries of origin, ways to change executive branch policies, and methods to determine which individuals are planning terrorist activities.

The origins of the Islamic State group can be traced back to three main organizations. Earliest of these was the "Jamāʻat al-Tawḥīd wa-al-Jihād" organization, founded by the Jihadist leader Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi in Jordan in 1999. The other two predecessor organizations emerged during the Iraqi insurgency against the U.S. occupation forces. These included the "Jaish al-Ta'ifa al-Mansurah" group founded by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi in 2004 and the "Jaysh Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah" group founded by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his associates in the same year.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Moon, Millard E. (2016), "Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe. By Malcolm Nance, Foreword by Richard Engel. New York, N.Y.: Skyhorse Publishing Company, 2016.", Journal of Strategic Security , 9 (2): 125–128, doi: 10.5038/1944-0472.9.2.1530 , retrieved June 8, 2017
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Patterson, Adam (October 23, 2016), Robinson, Nathan J. (ed.), "The ISIS hysteria industry", Current Affairs , retrieved June 8, 2017
  3. 1 2 "The New York Times Best Seller list; E-Book Nonfiction; New this week; Defeating ISIS by Malcolm Nance", The New York Times Best Seller list , July 3, 2016, retrieved June 8, 2017
  4. 1 2 Capehart, Jonathan (August 1, 2016), "There's no stopping a thin-skinned President Trump from going nuclear", The Washington Post , retrieved June 8, 2017, Malcolm Nance, a counterterrorism and intelligence consultant who runs the Terror Asymmetrics Project and is author of the New York Times bestseller 'Defeating ISIS: Who they are, how they fight, what they believe.'
  5. 1 2 3 Donahue, Joe (January 5, 2017), "Counterterrorism Expert Malcolm Nance", WAMC , archived from the original on May 29, 2017, retrieved June 7, 2017, Malcolm Nance is a globally recognized counterterrorism expert and Intelligence Community member who has been deployed to intelligence operations in the Balkans, Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. He is the author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller Defeating ISIS
  6. 1 2 Meacham, Jon (July 25, 2016), "Cover Story: Gut Check – Donald Trump – What a President Needs to Know", Time , vol. 188, no. 4, p. 42, ISSN   0040-781X , retrieved June 19, 2017, When he reads books, he says, he reads quickly. He likes biographies of Lincoln, Nixon and Reagan and recently read Edward Klein's hostile books on the Clintons and Defeating ISIS by Malcolm Nance.
  7. 1 2 Colmes, Alan (August 12, 2016), "Nance: ISIS Is Being Torn Apart", The Alan Colmes Show , archived from the original on 2017-10-12, retrieved June 8, 2017, Nance told Alan Donald Trump is not seeing how his words are playing out beyond the rallies he shouts them. Nance also said that ISIS is being torn apart month by month, that even the Taliban wants to see ISIS destroyed, and if Donald Trump really read Nance's book as he claims, then he would know why President Obama uses 'ISIL' and not 'ISIS.'
  8. 1 2 3 Monk, Paul (November 5, 2016), "Review: Robert Manne's Mind of the Islamic State deserves a wide audience", The Australian , retrieved June 8, 2017
  9. 1 2 Bisley, Alexander (April 27, 2017), "Q&A: Malcolm Nance on U.S. security and ISIS, a future 'ghost caliphate'", Maclean's , retrieved June 8, 2017
  10. 1 2 3 Nance, Malcolm (2016), Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe, Skyhorse Publishing, ISBN   978-1510711846
  11. Bennett, Cory (January 17, 2016), "Pentagon takes aim at ISIS hackers", The Hill , retrieved June 8, 2017
  12. Wolcott, James (March 21, 2017), "5 essential Twitter feeds for keeping up with Trump and Russia", Vanity Fair , retrieved June 7, 2017
  13. Cabanatuan, Michael (May 21, 2017), "Barbara Lee brings John Dean, Malcolm Nance to town hall meeting", San Francisco Chronicle , retrieved June 7, 2017
  14. Concha, Joe (February 18, 2017), "Maher: Russian election influence is worst political scandal in US history", The Hill , retrieved June 7, 2017
  15. Devega, Chauncey (March 14, 2017), "Intelligence expert Malcolm Nance on Trump scandal: 'As close to Benedict Arnold as we're ever going to get'", Salon , retrieved June 7, 2017
  16. 1 2 Hobson, Jeremy (October 12, 2016), "How Hackable Is The Election?", Here and Now, WBUR , retrieved June 7, 2017
  17. 1 2 Lamb, Brian (April 28, 2017), "Q&A with Malcolm Nance", C-SPAN (video), retrieved June 7, 2017
  18. 1 2 3 Jones, Layla A. (March 10, 2017), "Philly native is media expert on intelligence", The Philadelphia Tribune , retrieved June 7, 2017
  19. Lipkin, Michael (October 10, 2016), "The Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election", New York Journal of Books, retrieved June 7, 2017
  20. Nance, Malcolm (2010), An End to al-Qaeda: Destroying Bin Laden's Jihad and Restoring America's Honor, St. Martin's Press, ISBN   978-0312592493
  21. Nance, Malcolm (2013), Terrorist Recognition Handbook: A Practitioner's Manual for Predicting and Identifying Terrorist Activities, CRC Press, ISBN   978-1466554573
  22. Nance, Malcolm (2014), The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003–2014, CRC Press, ISBN   978-1498706896
  23. Nance, Malcolm (October 10, 2016), The Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election, Skyhorse Publishing, p. 216, ISBN   978-1510723320
  24. Nance, Malcolm (2017), Hacking ISIS: How to Destroy the Cyber Jihad, Skyhorse Publishing, ISBN   978-1510718920
  25. Scully, Steve (March 13, 2016), "U.S. Strategy Against ISIS", Washington Journal , C-SPAN , retrieved June 8, 2017
  26. Milliot, Jim (November 20, 2015), "Partnerships, New Hires Boost Skyhorse Publishing", Publishers Weekly , retrieved June 8, 2017
  27. Online Computer Library Center (2016), "Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe – 2016 print edition", WorldCat , OCLC   952056725
  28. Online Computer Library Center (2016), "Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe – 2016 e-book edition", WorldCat , OCLC   944244390
  29. Online Computer Library Center (2016), "Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe – 2016 print, 2nd edition", WorldCat , OCLC   956483659
  30. Online Computer Library Center (2016), "Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe – 2016 print, 3rd edition", WorldCat , OCLC   931642026
  31. Online Computer Library Center (2016), "Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe – 2017 print edition", WorldCat , OCLC   980515128
  32. Chotiner, Isaac (April 11, 2016), "Rachel Maddow Always Believed in Bernie Sanders", Slate , retrieved June 8, 2017, Malcolm Nance has this new book out about defeating ISIS. It's not like a prose book. It's like an encyclopedia.

Further reading