A valuable research tool hosted by the CTC.
https://ctc.usma.edu/ctc-releases-declassified-tactical-interrogation-reports-on-current-islamic-state-leader/
https://ctc.usma.edu/al-mawla-interrogation-reports/
An open source look at a non-state actor's attempts to counter the advantages of modern air forces
https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2020/09/the-islamic-states-desperate-attempts.html
Link: https://mwi.usma.edu/the-battle-of-marawi/
In this episode of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast, John Spencer is joined by Dr. Charles Knight. He is a senior lecturer in terrorism, asymmetric conflict, and urban operations at Charles Sturt University and a senior researcher at the University of New South Wales.
Dr. Knight has researched and and written about the 2017 Battle of Marawi, in which the Philippine Army fought against Islamic State fighters over the course of five months. With the two sides fighting through the streets, alleys, and buildings of Marawi, it was one of the biggest and most high-intensity urban battles of the modern era. In the conversation, Dr. Knight explains the context in which the battle must be understood, the phases through which the fighting progressed, and the types of tactics that characterized the battle.
A roundup of the conflict in against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Topics Include:
Partner Forces
The state of ISIS in Iraq and Syria
Troop Reductions
Link: https://www.dodig.mil/In-the-Spotlight/Article/2497908/lead-inspector-general-for-operation-inherent-resolve-quarterly-report-to-the-u/
Full Report: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA388-1.html
Airpower played a pivotal role in the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from 2014 to 2019 and contributed to the success of Operation Inherent Resolve. This report sheds light on the impact of the air operations in Operation Inherent Resolve and whether airpower could have been applied differently to achieve faster, more-sustainable outcomes. The authors incorporate interviews with U.S. and coalition personnel, primary-source documents, and U.S. and coalition strike and sortie data to document the operational history of the air war, assess the relationship between airpower effects, and analyze the strategic and operational impact of airpower in Operation Inherent Resolve.
The authors find that, although airpower played an essential role in combating ISIS, airpower alone would not have been likely to defeat the militant organization. Instead, the combination of airpower and ground forces—led by Iraqi and Syrian partners—was needed to destroy the Islamic State as a territorial entity. The overarching strategy of Operation Inherent Resolve, which put ground-force partners in the lead, created several challenges and innovations in the application of airpower, which have implications for future air wars. To be prepared to meet future demands against nonstate and near-peer adversaries, the U.S. Air Force and the joint force should apply lessons learned from Operation Inherent Resolve.
By Tore Refslund Hamming
The article discusses the history of the group in Mozambique, how it became an ISIS affiliate, and the local government's attempts to counter the group.
Full Article: https://www.lawfareblog.com/islamic-state-mozambique
