strategic communication

A panel of outside experts from Silicon Valley and the private sector has completed a skeptical review — still not public — about U.S. online efforts against ISIS, according to an article in The Washington Post. Their timely review underscores a harsh reality: The United States and its allies have not devoted the time, attention and resources necessary to countering the ideology that drives organizations like ISIS and al-Qaida.

December 24, 2015

Check out, as just one of many examples, the Twitter user “Bint Emergent”: an apparent ISIS fangirl and keen observer of the jihadist scene. (Bint Emergent has not disclosed her identity, or gender, but bint is an honorific Arabic word for girl or daughter; like umm—mother in Arabic—bint features prominently in theTwitter display names of female ISIS sympathizers.)

They look like scenes from a Hollywood movie. [...] Underneath the images, a track of soulful music enhances his emotional plea. But this video isn't from Hollywood. It's from ISIS. The Islamic State's online recruitment is so powerful that the U.S. government is having a difficult time counteracting it, according to experts who study efforts by both sides.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, is a new kind of threat facing the world today. ISIS takes advantage of their huge social media audience to post narratives of radicalization and brutality, to terrorize people, and to spread their philosophy to attract supporters worldwide. Thus, a new form of terror via cyber space, or “terrorism 2.0,” has emerged.

Muslims Praying

On India's strategic communications to foil ISIS.

A selection of blogs and research.

Senior U.S. government officials have also acknowledged the importance of winning the war of ideas from the outset. [...] A closer inspection suggests the lessons from the Truth campaign can help improve the West's ability to compete in the CVE war of ideas, particularly in the eyes of young adults.

Jean-Claude Bader brings showbiz sparkle to regional elections in December, when the Front National hopes to capitalise on refugee crisis. He is the Gallic equivalent of an Elvis impersonator, a dead ringer for the ageing French rocker, Johnny Hallyday.

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