In contrast, JN views itself as one among many groups (primarily other Islamist allies) that must work together not only to fight against the Assad regime, but also to govern liberated spaces. JN takes the long view that it cannot force its ideas on individuals and therefore must pursue a more gradualist approach, based on the lessons of past failed attempts at jihadist governance in Iraq last decade, as well as Somalia, Yemen, and Mali. The key is to socialize and normalize its ideas over time so that eventually the group can legitimately implement its more narrow interpretations of sharia. While this approach may have greater appeal for locals, ISIS’s “forcing it down people’s throats” style is more popular with its foreign fighter contingent, which makes up about 50 percent of its fighting force and provides support for its out- of-theater power projection.
Posted on: Fri, 27 Jun 2014 15:30:51 +0000
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