The trials and travails of the Islamic State in Pakistan

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12349010
AutoresJustin V Hastings (0000-0003-4947-1535, The University of Sydney, autor correspondente), Farah Naz (0000-0002-9170-9300, The University of Sydney)
Ano2017
Volume71
Fascículo3
Páginas335-353
Data de publicação2017-01-11
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAustralian Journal Of International Affairs (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1035-7718 • E-ISSN: 1465-332X
EditoraTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10357718.2016.1266599
OpenAlexW2575710166
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas28

While Pakistan is in many ways an ideal location for transnational terrorist groups due to state weakness, Islamic State has had difficulty making headway in the country. In this article, the authors argue that Islamic State’s failures in Pakistan are due to competition from other groups. Drawing on the terrorist competition literature and interviews with Pakistani counterterrorism officials, the authors find that the presence of other groups in Pakistan meant there was little demand for what Islamic State offered. Islamic State relied on splinter groups and defectors for recruitment, which alienated mainstream groups and harmed the group’s capacity. Islamic State’s competition problems were exacerbated by its internationalist ideology, which was at odds with that of many groups in Pakistan, and allowed opposing groups to present themselves as reasonable alternatives to other actors. Despite Islamic State’s lack of success, it and its allies have still engaged in extreme violence in Pakistan as a result of attempts to outbid other groups. This article has implications for fighting terrorism in Pakistan and more generally

Competition (biology · Development economics · Economics · Geography · Ideology · Islam · Mainstream · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · State (computer science · Terrorism · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence