On November 13th, 2015 several terrorist attacks took place in Paris. In just one night
multiple suicide bombings took place in the soccer stadium, shootings took place at
restaurants and bars in the 11th district, and visitors at the Bataclan Concert Hall were taken
hostage. The lives of 129 individuals were taken that night by the Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria (ISIS).1 The group of attackers consisted of foreign fighters who had returned home and
two Iraqi nationals who were sent by ISIS leaders to participate in the attacks. 2 In the
timespan of just one night, everyone in the Western world knew who ISIS was. In the year
that followed ISIS coordinated and inspired many other attacks.
This paper will discuss how ISIS can be characterized, what counterterrorism
approaches have been used to stop ISIS, to what extent and why these approaches have
been successful or unsuccessful, and to what extent there are any known cases of successful
disengagement and/or deradicalization.
Since the uprising of ISIS, and even long before that, there has been written a lot of
academic literature about terrorism and ISIS in particular. This paper will therefore consist of
a literature review. Apart from the academic research and literature available, a lot of
newspaper articles are written about ISIS. Even though newspaper articles are known to be
less reliable, to provide a paper that contains a wide range of literature both academic
literature and newspaper articles will be used to reach a conclusion.
The paper will begin by characterizing ISIS as a terrorist organization. Next, the
counterterrorism approaches and whether or not they were successful will be discussed.
Finally, any known cases of successful disengagement and/or radicalization are portrayed,
and a conclusion will be given.
How can ISIS be characterized?
Definition of terrorism
To determine if ISIS can be considered a terrorist organization, an internationally agreed-
upon definition of terrorism is needed. Unfortunately, such a widely agreed-upon definition
has not yet been established. In this paper, Richards’ definition of terrorism will be applied
to determine if ISIS can be defined as a terrorist organization. His definition constitutes
terrorism as:
“The use of violence or the threat of violence with the primary purpose of generating
a psychological impact beyond the immediate victims or object of attack for a
political motive.”.3
Use or threat of violence
Many Europeans know and fear ISIS because of the various terrorist attacks they
coordinated or inspired in Europe. In 2015 and 2016 ISIS was responsible for several attacks
throughout the Western world. Among these attacks were the ones in Paris where nearly
130 people died, attacks on the airport in Brussels, a nightclub in Orlando, and so on. What
many citizens may not know, is that the violent behavior of ISIS exceeded far further than
the Western world. Additionally, the group carried out a widespread of violence against
1
Cragin, Orbis 2017/61(2), p. 212
2
Cragin, Orbis 2017/61(2), p. 218
3
Richards, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 2014/37(3), p. 236
, locals in Iraq and Syria.4 Years before ISIS focused its violence on the West, it had its main
focus on its locals. Within the first couple of months of the US invasion in Iraq in 2003 ISIS’s
founder, Zarqawi, organized several attacks on a Shiite shrine, the Jordanian embassy in
Baghdad, and the UN headquarters. Zarqawi’s wave of violence created chaos in Iraq. 5 In
conclusion, ISIS has used an excessive amount of violence, or the threat thereof, since the
early days of its existence. Therefore, ISIS satisfies Richards’s first condition.
Purpose of generating psychological impact beyond the immediate victims
Zarqawi used the US invasion in Iraq in 2003 as an excuse to start a sectarian war between
the Sunni and the Shia. He saw the Shias as traitors and foretold that the use of violence on a
massive scale against them would cause not only fear, but it would also be a tool to impress
his followers. Thus, ISIS did not only seek to awaken fear among its local enemy as well as its
far enemy, but it was also sending a signal to jihadists around the world that Iraq was the
new capital for jihadists and that it was the place to be.6 The use of excessive violence can
also be perceived as a way to provoke disproportionate responses that cause radicalization
and provide them with potential new recruits. Additionally, it can be used as a signal to the
enemy that they will enforce significant costs unless the enemy changes its policy. 7 ISIS’s
main purpose is therefore not exclusively to kill and hurt as many people as possible, but it is
to install fear and status for itself or to enforce the enemy to take certain actions. Therefore,
it can be noted that ISIS has the purpose of generating psychological impact beyond its
immediate victims and satisfies this condition as well.
Political motive
ISIS’s ideology consists of one that sees state and religion as bound together in a way that all
governmental decisions have to be based on strict interpretations of the sharia law. 8
Its main goal is to expand its caliphate to all Muslim countries and to win the apocalyptic war
against the West.9 In order to do so, Islam first needs to be cleansed from within and
Muslims who do not strictly follow ISIS’s interpretation of Islam are portraited as traitors and
therefore have to die. The idea that Islam needs to be cleansed from within is very particular
for ISIS. Al Qaida for example considers killing fellow Muslims as incompatible with the
jihadist goal and harmful for its global campaign.10 To reach their ideological goals, ISIS has
used an extreme wave of violence in the Western world, as well as, in the Middle East. It is
therefore undeniable that ISIS satisfies this last condition as well.
In conclusion, it can be stated that ISIS uses an extreme wave of violence, that has the
purpose to generate psychological impact beyond its immediate victims and that they do so
in order to reach a certain ideology. Therefore, ISIS fits Richards’s definition of terrorism and
can be portraited as a terrorist organization.
Recruitment and radicalization processes
4
Specia, The New York Times March 20th, 2019
5
Jasko e.a. 2018, p. 7
6
Jasko e.a. 2018, p. 7
7
Rosenblatt, Winter & Basra, Perspectives on Terrorism 2019/13(5), p. 40
8
Jasko e.a. 2018, p. 12
9
Oosterveld & Bloem 2017, p. 10
10
Jasko e.a. 2018, p. 13
multiple suicide bombings took place in the soccer stadium, shootings took place at
restaurants and bars in the 11th district, and visitors at the Bataclan Concert Hall were taken
hostage. The lives of 129 individuals were taken that night by the Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria (ISIS).1 The group of attackers consisted of foreign fighters who had returned home and
two Iraqi nationals who were sent by ISIS leaders to participate in the attacks. 2 In the
timespan of just one night, everyone in the Western world knew who ISIS was. In the year
that followed ISIS coordinated and inspired many other attacks.
This paper will discuss how ISIS can be characterized, what counterterrorism
approaches have been used to stop ISIS, to what extent and why these approaches have
been successful or unsuccessful, and to what extent there are any known cases of successful
disengagement and/or deradicalization.
Since the uprising of ISIS, and even long before that, there has been written a lot of
academic literature about terrorism and ISIS in particular. This paper will therefore consist of
a literature review. Apart from the academic research and literature available, a lot of
newspaper articles are written about ISIS. Even though newspaper articles are known to be
less reliable, to provide a paper that contains a wide range of literature both academic
literature and newspaper articles will be used to reach a conclusion.
The paper will begin by characterizing ISIS as a terrorist organization. Next, the
counterterrorism approaches and whether or not they were successful will be discussed.
Finally, any known cases of successful disengagement and/or radicalization are portrayed,
and a conclusion will be given.
How can ISIS be characterized?
Definition of terrorism
To determine if ISIS can be considered a terrorist organization, an internationally agreed-
upon definition of terrorism is needed. Unfortunately, such a widely agreed-upon definition
has not yet been established. In this paper, Richards’ definition of terrorism will be applied
to determine if ISIS can be defined as a terrorist organization. His definition constitutes
terrorism as:
“The use of violence or the threat of violence with the primary purpose of generating
a psychological impact beyond the immediate victims or object of attack for a
political motive.”.3
Use or threat of violence
Many Europeans know and fear ISIS because of the various terrorist attacks they
coordinated or inspired in Europe. In 2015 and 2016 ISIS was responsible for several attacks
throughout the Western world. Among these attacks were the ones in Paris where nearly
130 people died, attacks on the airport in Brussels, a nightclub in Orlando, and so on. What
many citizens may not know, is that the violent behavior of ISIS exceeded far further than
the Western world. Additionally, the group carried out a widespread of violence against
1
Cragin, Orbis 2017/61(2), p. 212
2
Cragin, Orbis 2017/61(2), p. 218
3
Richards, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 2014/37(3), p. 236
, locals in Iraq and Syria.4 Years before ISIS focused its violence on the West, it had its main
focus on its locals. Within the first couple of months of the US invasion in Iraq in 2003 ISIS’s
founder, Zarqawi, organized several attacks on a Shiite shrine, the Jordanian embassy in
Baghdad, and the UN headquarters. Zarqawi’s wave of violence created chaos in Iraq. 5 In
conclusion, ISIS has used an excessive amount of violence, or the threat thereof, since the
early days of its existence. Therefore, ISIS satisfies Richards’s first condition.
Purpose of generating psychological impact beyond the immediate victims
Zarqawi used the US invasion in Iraq in 2003 as an excuse to start a sectarian war between
the Sunni and the Shia. He saw the Shias as traitors and foretold that the use of violence on a
massive scale against them would cause not only fear, but it would also be a tool to impress
his followers. Thus, ISIS did not only seek to awaken fear among its local enemy as well as its
far enemy, but it was also sending a signal to jihadists around the world that Iraq was the
new capital for jihadists and that it was the place to be.6 The use of excessive violence can
also be perceived as a way to provoke disproportionate responses that cause radicalization
and provide them with potential new recruits. Additionally, it can be used as a signal to the
enemy that they will enforce significant costs unless the enemy changes its policy. 7 ISIS’s
main purpose is therefore not exclusively to kill and hurt as many people as possible, but it is
to install fear and status for itself or to enforce the enemy to take certain actions. Therefore,
it can be noted that ISIS has the purpose of generating psychological impact beyond its
immediate victims and satisfies this condition as well.
Political motive
ISIS’s ideology consists of one that sees state and religion as bound together in a way that all
governmental decisions have to be based on strict interpretations of the sharia law. 8
Its main goal is to expand its caliphate to all Muslim countries and to win the apocalyptic war
against the West.9 In order to do so, Islam first needs to be cleansed from within and
Muslims who do not strictly follow ISIS’s interpretation of Islam are portraited as traitors and
therefore have to die. The idea that Islam needs to be cleansed from within is very particular
for ISIS. Al Qaida for example considers killing fellow Muslims as incompatible with the
jihadist goal and harmful for its global campaign.10 To reach their ideological goals, ISIS has
used an extreme wave of violence in the Western world, as well as, in the Middle East. It is
therefore undeniable that ISIS satisfies this last condition as well.
In conclusion, it can be stated that ISIS uses an extreme wave of violence, that has the
purpose to generate psychological impact beyond its immediate victims and that they do so
in order to reach a certain ideology. Therefore, ISIS fits Richards’s definition of terrorism and
can be portraited as a terrorist organization.
Recruitment and radicalization processes
4
Specia, The New York Times March 20th, 2019
5
Jasko e.a. 2018, p. 7
6
Jasko e.a. 2018, p. 7
7
Rosenblatt, Winter & Basra, Perspectives on Terrorism 2019/13(5), p. 40
8
Jasko e.a. 2018, p. 12
9
Oosterveld & Bloem 2017, p. 10
10
Jasko e.a. 2018, p. 13
