Anne Speckhard, Ardian Shajkovci, Claire Wooster & Neima Izadi ABSTRACT This article reports on The International Center for Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE’s) small-scale Facebook ad awareness campaigns ran between December 7, 2017 and December 31, 2017 in the United States, UK,…
Historically speaking, compelling narratives and messages have always served as a crucial means for violent extremist groups to attract followers to their cause. In this regard, terrorist groups like ISIS have managed to attract thousands of fighters to the conflict zones…
Anne Speckhard & Ardian Shaykovci As published in Homeland Security Today PDF here This paper discusses ICSVE efforts at counter messaging in their Breaking the ISIS Brand Counter Narrative Project and addresses criticisms pertaining to the use and creation of…
Anne Speckhard, Ph.D.& Ardian Shajkovci, Ph.D. As published in Homeland Security Today PDF here Abstract: This paper is based on the research interviews of 101 ISIS returnees, defectors, and ISIS prison cadres conducted by the International Center for the Study…
By Anne Speckhard & Neima Izadi PDF Here In 2017, ISIS suffered major territorial and military defeat in Iraq. Despite the achieved success, the group remains active and in control of small pockets of territory in Iraq. It also continues…
by Anne Speckhard & Ardian Shajkovci as published in Homeland Security Today PDF here During its heyday, ISIS and other militant groups attracted 40,000 foreign fighters in an unprecedented migration of men, women, and children to the battlegrounds of Syria…
by Anne Speckhard & Neima Izadi PDF here With estimates of 3000 foreign fighters traveling to Syria and Iraq, Jordan had the highest per capita number of foreign fighters. In addition to Abu Musab Zarqawi having been the leader of al…
A published in CTX Anne Speckhard & Ardian Shajkovci Most experts agree that the most successful counter-messaging campaigns against ISIS are the ones that use the voices of insiders—both ISIS victims and ISIS cadres who have firsthand knowledge of the…
Anne Speckhard & Lorand Bodo PDF here Abstract Since its inception in 2014, ISIS has unleashed an unprecedented social-media recruiting drive on a 24/7 basis in over twenty-one world languages. While ISIS has lost much of the territory it once…
by Anne Speckhard, Lorand Bodo & Haris Fazliu[1] PDF here The Western Balkans has been over represented on a per capita basis for foreign recruitment in terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Nusra. Research shows that much of the recruitment into…