BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Sabre//Sabre VObject 4.6.1//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Zurich X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/Zurich TZURL:http://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/Zurich BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:19810329T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:19961027T030000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:news143@ethnologie.philhist.unibas.ch DTSTAMP;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20200504T184247 DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20200506T161500 SUMMARY:ONLINE: The Islamic State and Migration: Reassessing the ‘Civilia n Population’ within Insurgency Theory (MA project) DESCRIPTION:If you would like to join the Zoom session\, please contact s.b urri@unibas.ch [mailto:s.burri@unibas.ch].Defined as a political and milit ary contest over the popular support of a civilian population\, the strate gy of insurgency epitomises Clausewitz’ understanding of war as the cont inuation of politics by other means. Indeed\, the centrality of the civili an population has infused the strategy with its developmental milestones\, seeing changes within societies echoed by insurgent groups stemming from and targeting their support. Writing in 1937\, for example\, Mao advocated the utility of the printing press for guerrilla units competing for the s upport of rural China. In 1961\, Guevara championed the importance of the radio for the Cuban Revolution and\, in 1991\, Hezbollah launched its inde pendently operated\, domestic television station to compete for wider Leba nese support. More recently\, insurgent organisations in Afghanistan and I raq have harnessed the information revolution to achieve an almost global messaging reach. While these more operational developments in insurgency h ave enjoyed sizable analytical attention\, the conceptualisation of the st rategy’s central element – the civilian population itself – remains comparatively under-developed and confined to those state borders in which insurgencies are considered to occur. Through a case study of the Islamic State\, this research seeks to contribute to the evolving discussion of i nsurgency theory by exploring how contemporary migration and mobilities pa radigms have affected the nature of the ‘civilian population’ within. \\r\\nAfter having undertaken a developmental study of the Islamic State\, establishing its status as an insurgent organisation and thus suitability for this study\, the group’s propaganda as tailored towards selected ex tra-territorial populations underwent qualitative analysis. Focus was give n to those sources encouraging the migration of civilian concentrations to wards the Islamic State’s territory. Secondly\, analytical attention was directed to the group’s organisational hierarchy for any signs of migra tion- or mobilities-adjacent operations having been formally institutional ised and thus representative of their purposeful incorporation into the gr oup’s broader strategy. Thirdly\, the tactical and operational character of the group’s use of force\, both within its considered geographic ter ritory and along its path of expansion\, were analysed for reference to in stances of forced migration away from its territories.\\r\\nPreliminary re sults indicate the Islamic State to have catalysed its insurgency through crafting its political and violent actions with contemporary mobilities in mind. Within their established territory the group is seen to use violenc e to stimulate the emigration\, rather than engage in the competition for the support\, of non-aligned civilian populations. Insurgency’s competit ion for popular political support does still take place\, but an analysis both of the Islamic State’s political messaging and organisational struc ture reveals this as having been re-located to extra-territorial populatio ns. Understanding this requires an equal acknowledgement of the multiplici ty of ‘civilian populations’ in contemporary manifestations of the str ategy\, with each seeing their own\, tailored\, contests of popular politi cal support. Indeed\, the homogenous\, state-border confined conceptualisa tion of the ‘civilian population’ that formed the basis for the more o perational developments in insurgency theory until now may have become obs olete.\\r\\nThese initial results hint not only at a profound change in ou r understanding of insurgency\, but also call for a re-evaluation of those strategies designed to counter it. With extra-territorial populations now the target of insurgent contests for popular political support\, counteri nsurgents of the future may need to adopt a more introspective\, less expe ditionary approach to achieve their aims. After all\, to paraphrase semina l French counterinsurgency theorist David Galula\, a state free of problem s is a state free of insurgency. X-ALT-DESC:

If you would like to join the Zoom session\, please contact < a href="mailto:s.burri@unibas.ch">s.burri@unibas.ch.

Define d as a political and military contest over the popular support of a civili an population\, the strategy of insurgency epitomises Clausewitz’ unders tanding of war as the continuation of politics by other means. Indeed\, th e centrality of the civilian population has infused the strategy with its developmental milestones\, seeing changes within societies echoed by insur gent groups stemming from and targeting their support. Writing in 1937\, f or example\, Mao advocated the utility of the printing press for guerrilla units competing for the support of rural China. In 1961\, Guevara champio ned the importance of the radio for the Cuban Revolution and\, in 1991\, H ezbollah launched its independently operated\, domestic television station to compete for wider Lebanese support. More recently\, insurgent organisa tions in Afghanistan and Iraq have harnessed the information revolution to achieve an almost global messaging reach. While these more operational de velopments in insurgency have enjoyed sizable analytical attention\, the c onceptualisation of the strategy’s central element – the civilian popu lation itself – remains comparatively under-developed and confined to th ose state borders in which insurgencies are considered to occur. Through a case study of the Islamic State\, this research seeks to contribute to th e evolving discussion of insurgency theory by exploring how contemporary m igration and mobilities paradigms have affected the nature of the ‘civil ian population’ within.

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After having undertaken a developmental study of the Islamic State\, establishing its status as an insurgent orga nisation and thus suitability for this study\, the group’s propaganda as tailored towards selected extra-territorial populations underwent qualita tive analysis. Focus was given to those sources encouraging the migration of civilian concentrations towards the Islamic State’s territory. Second ly\, analytical attention was directed to the group’s organisational hie rarchy for any signs of migration- or mobilities-adjacent operations havin g been formally institutionalised and thus representative of their purpose ful incorporation into the group’s broader strategy. Thirdly\, the tacti cal and operational character of the group’s use of force\, both within its considered geographic territory and along its path of expansion\, were analysed for reference to instances of forced migration away from its ter ritories.

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Preliminary results indicate the Islamic State to have c atalysed its insurgency through crafting its political and violent actions with contemporary mobilities in mind. Within their established territory the group is seen to use violence to stimulate the emigration\, rather tha n engage in the competition for the support\, of non-aligned civilian popu lations. Insurgency’s competition for popular political support does sti ll take place\, but an analysis both of the Islamic State’s political me ssaging and organisational structure reveals this as having been re-locate d to extra-territorial populations. Understanding this requires an equal a cknowledgement of the multiplicity of ‘civilian populations’ in contem porary manifestations of the strategy\, with each seeing their own\, tailo red\, contests of popular political support. Indeed\, the homogenous\, sta te-border confined conceptualisation of the ‘civilian population’ that formed the basis for the more operational developments in insurgency theo ry until now may have become obsolete.

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These initial results hint not only at a profound change in our understanding of insurgency\, but als o call for a re-evaluation of those strategies designed to counter it. Wit h extra-territorial populations now the target of insurgent contests for p opular political support\, counterinsurgents of the future may need to ado pt a more introspective\, less expeditionary approach to achieve their aim s. After all\, to paraphrase seminal French counterinsurgency theorist Dav id Galula\, a state free of problems is a state free of insurgency.

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