Strategic communications: The state department versus the Islamic state

Abstract

As the battle against the Islamic State unfolds on the battleground and in cyberspace, the U.S. government has declared its commitment to disruptand ultimately defeatthe terrorist group. The Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and ISIS, has become one of the most deadly and influential terrorist groups in the Middle East. Strategic communications cannot be underestimated. The unit tasked with countering the terrorist groups propaganda and recruitment efforts, the State Departments Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC), has recently restructured to improve its efforts. This thesis examines the Centers mission, strategy, and communications to assess the efficacy of its efforts to counter the Islamic State terrorist group and degrade its ability to recruit foreign fighters. It analyzes the Islamic State and introduces the CSCCs successor, the Global Engagement Center. Finally, it offers research findings and provides recommendations for future consideration.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2017
Accession Number
AD1046478

Entities

People

  • Crystal L. Mcfadden

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civil War
  • Counterterrorism
  • Department Of State
  • Governments
  • Information Operations
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Internet
  • Middle East
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • Political Systems
  • Social Media
  • Strategic Communications
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Cyber