Global Insurgency to Reestablish the Caliphate: Identifying and Understanding the Enemy
David A Strauss
Synopsis "Global Insurgency to Reestablish the Caliphate: Identifying and Understanding the Enemy"
Since the attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States (US) has waged a Global War on Terror (GWOT) based upon the flawed strategy of countering a tactic, terrorism, as opposed to a strategy built on understanding and identifying its enemy. By focusing exclusively on terrorist organizations, the US failed to recognize the broader-based movement of establishing a dominant Islamic world power. Analysis should have been conducted encompassing the ways, means and ends of a known adversary, such as Islamic fundamentalists. Using this group as a source of comparison, this monograph demonstrates how other diverse groups, operating with different ideological ways but using similar means of technology, are attempting to achieve a common ends; the reestablishment of the Caliphate. There is no "one thing" that causes, allows or facilitates the situation. It is the relationship between the various actors, agents and artifacts that contributes to understanding the system and creates the environment where conflict is probable. Germane to this article is the assemblage of Western culture based on a liberal-democratic politics and an Islamic culture based on the Qur'an, Shari'a and the Sunnah. Where these two cultures meet there is, to quote Huntington, a "Clash of Civilizations". Where GWOT focuses on countering a tactic, terrorism, it fails to address the ideology which draws upon Islam for its legitimacy. It requires critically analyzing how Islam is able to give some form of legitimacy to those who would do Western nations harm, and how groups not normally seen as adversaries hold to the same theocratic ideology. The internet provides a forum for loosely interconnected, semi-independent groups to maintain contact with one another and with members of other terrorist groups, providing dispersed organizational actors the ability to communicate swiftly and coordinate effectively. Where once insurgencies were forced to rely on bank robberies, blackmail, ransoming hostages and pThis work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
