In the media
July 04, 2017
On 3 July 2017, ICCT Associate Fellow Charlie Winter published an article in The Atlantic discussing how so called Islamic State's (IS) recent loss of Mosul is not as detrimental to the group as one may initially think. The fall of Mosul, argues Winter, was a foreseeable development for IS, as it was more a question of when the city would be reclaimed by the Iraqi government rather than if it would be. While the loss of Mosul is a significant blow for IS, "the realisation of ideological aspirations is far more important than the permanent administration of any piece of land, even if it comes at great material cost", Winter states. Although no longer under IS control, the group has held the city long enough to fuel and sustain their narrative of being the ideological hegemon of global jihadism, which, for IS, is far more valuable for its propaganda purposes.
Read the article.
