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''Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe'' is a non-fiction book about
counterterrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and Intelligence agency, intelligence ...
against
ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
. It was written by Malcolm Nance, a former cryptology analyst, with a foreword by
Richard Engel Richard Engel (born September 16, 1973) is an American journalist and author who is the chief foreign correspondent for NBC News. He was assigned to that position on April 18, 2008, after serving as the network's Middle East correspondent and B ...
. Its thesis is that ISIS is not part of
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, 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 Al-Qaeda in Iraq (; AQI), was a Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization affiliated with al-Qaeda. It was founded on 17 October 2004, and was led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi until its disbandment on 15 October 2006 after he was killed in a targ ...
, 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 The Arab world ( '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, comprises a large group of countries, mainly located in West Asia and North Africa. While the majority of people in ...
states.


Synopsis

''Defeating ISIS'' argues that the group
ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
does not belong to the faith of
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, 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. Nance ties the history of ISIS back to changing developments within
Al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...
. Nance ascribes growth of influence by ISIS directly to problems within U.S. leadership related to combating
Al-Qaeda in Iraq Al-Qaeda in Iraq (; AQI), was a Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization affiliated with al-Qaeda. It was founded on 17 October 2004, and was led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi until its disbandment on 15 October 2006 after he was killed in a targ ...
. 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 Boko Haram, officially known as Jama'at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da'wa wa al-Jihad (), is a self-proclaimed jihadist militant group based in northeastern Nigeria and also active in Chad, Niger, northern Cameroon, and Mali. In 2016, the group spli ...
. 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 The Arab states of the Persian Gulf, also known as the Gulf Arab states (), refers to a group of Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi ...
. The book describes the terrorist group's attempts to remake the world through jihad. Nance grounds the reader within the context of
Islamic history The history of Islam is believed, by most historians, to have originated with Muhammad's mission in Mecca and Medina at the start of the 7th century CE, although Muslims regard this time as a return to the original faith passed down by the Abra ...
, including the Battle of Nahrawan, controversy regarding
Shia–Sunni relations The succession to Muhammad in 632 led the Muslims to be split into two camps, the Sunnis, who believed that the caliphs of the Islamic community should be chosen by a council, as in Saqifa, while a second group, the Shia, who believed that ...
, evolution of the Qarmatians, and the
Mahdist War The Mahdist War (; 1881–1899) was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese, led by Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah, who had proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" of Islam (the "Guided One"), and the forces of the Khedivate of Egypt, initially, and later th ...
. ''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. ''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 The Syrian Armed Forces () are the military forces of Syria. Up until the fall of Bashar al-Assad's Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region, Ba'ath Party Ba'athist Syria, regime in December 2024, the Syrian Arab Armed Forces were the sta ...
, and enlisting increased support from Arab world countries.


Research and writing

Malcolm Nance is a retired cryptology analyst. He garnered expertise within the field of intelligence analysis. Nance served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, from 1981 to 2001. He devoted years researching Middle East terrorism. Nance founded a company providing advice to U.S. Special Operations, and created a survival tactics training center. He manages a think tank consisting of CIA and counterterrorism officers. His books on intelligence include '' An End to al-Qaeda'', '' Terrorist Recognition Handbook'', '' The Terrorists of Iraq'', '' The Plot to Hack America'', and ''Hacking ISIS''. 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 Al-Qaeda in Iraq (; AQI), was a Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization affiliated with al-Qaeda. It was founded on 17 October 2004, and was led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi until its disbandment on 15 October 2006 after he was killed in a targ ...
. ''Defeating ISIS'' was contracted for publication with
Skyhorse Publishing Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. is an American independent book publishing company founded in 2006 and headquartered in New York City, with a satellite office in Brattleboro, Vermont. History The current president and publisher is founder Tony Ly ...
in November 2015, originally slated for a January 2017 release date.


Publication

''Defeating ISIS'' was published in 2016 by Skyhorse Publishing in print format. An e-book was published the same year. It went through two more editions in 2016. W. W. Norton & Company published another edition in 2017. ''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". U.S. President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
told ''
Time magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...
'' he read ''Defeating ISIS'' while he was a candidate for president in July 2016.


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." Moon said that, "Nance has done a really good job of providing detailed information about the growth and activities of ISIS components". He praised the author's ability to structure the book as a reference resource, writing, "there is a wealth of factual information on ISIS". As for the religious nature of the organization, Moon acknowledged, "Malcolm Nance does an excellent job of outlining what ISIS believes". 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." '' Current Affairs'' journalist Adam Patterson called the book "One of the more intelligent, incisive mass-market books on ISIS." 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." Rachel Maddow referenced this book as a source she used to educate herself about ISIS. The book received a negative review by Paul Monk in ''
The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet daily newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964. As the only Australian daily newspaper distributed nationally, its readership of b ...
''. Monk criticized the writing style, and disputed Nance's view that ISIS wished "to destroy Islam". ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' national security reporter Spencer Ackerman praised the author's expertise, citing the caliber of his works '' The Terrorists of Iraq'' and ''Defeating ISIS''.


See also

* Refuting ISIS * List of books about al-Qaeda * 2016 Brussels bombings *
Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...
*
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
*
Islam and violence The use of Political violence, politically and Religious violence, religiously-motivated violence in Islam dates back to History of Islam, its early history. Islam has its origins in the behavior, sayings, and rulings of the Muhammad in Islam, I ...
*
Islamic extremism Islamic extremism refers to extremist beliefs, behaviors and ideologies adhered to by some Muslims within Islam. The term 'Islamic extremism' is contentious, encompassing a spectrum of definitions, ranging from academic interpretations of Is ...
*
Islamic fundamentalism Islamic fundamentalism has been defined as a revivalist and reform movement of Muslims who aim to return to the founding scriptures of Islam. The term has been used interchangeably with similar terms such as Islamism, Islamic revivalism, Qut ...
* Islamic terrorism * Muslim attitudes toward terrorism * Syrian Civil War *
War in Afghanistan (2001–present) War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...


References


Further reading

* *


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Defeating ISIS 2016 non-fiction books American non-fiction books Political science books Non-fiction books about war Non-fiction books about jihadism Books about counterterrorism Books about al-Qaeda Works about the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Books about Islamic fundamentalism Books by Malcolm Nance Skyhorse Publishing books