The Islamic State in Khorasan: Afghanistan, Pakistan and the New Central Asian Jihad

by Antonio Giustozzi

So-called Islamic State began to appear in what it calls Khorasan (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, Iran and India) in 2014. Reports of its presence were at first dismissed as propaganda, but during 2015 it became clear that IS had a serious presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan at least.This book, by one of the leading experts on Islamist insurgency in the region, explores the nature of IS in Khorasan, its aim and strategies, and its evolution in an environment already populated by many jihadist organisations. Based on first-hand research and numerous interviews with members of IS in Khorasan, as well as with other participants and observers, the book addresses highly contentious issues such as funding, IS's relationship with the region's authorities, and its interactions with other insurgent groups. Giustozzi argues that the central leadership of IS invested significant financial resources in establishing its own branch in Khorasan, and as such it is more than a local movement which adopted the IS brand for its own aims. Though the central leadership has been struggling in implementing its project, it is now turning towards a more realistic approach.This is the first book on a new frontier in Islamic State's international jihad.

Genres: Pakistan, War, Politics, History, Nonfiction, Terrorism, Islam

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2018

Reviews

[Maldifassi Giovanni · Rating 4 out of 5]

L’autore è uno dei maggiori islamisti esperti della regione alla quale appartiene l’Afghanistan ed è autore di diverse pubblicazioni sull’argomento.
E’ Visiting Professor al King’s College.
Il libro del quale parliamo è un’opera tipicamente accademica, per intenderci la classificherei fra quei saggi che vengono scelti dai cultori della Geopolitica come fonti.
Sì perché non è un’analisi costruita su opere già esistenti, né tanto meno la sintesi di un lavoro di reportage sul campo.
E’ qualcosa di più essendo tutto basato su interviste fatte sul campo a capi o semplici miliziani del così detto Stato Islamico o Daesh,Talibani, membri di Al Quaida eccetera.
Lo dico subito è una lettura abbastanza impegnativa non tanto per la mole accettabile di poco più di trecento pagine, ma per il livello di dettaglio delle informazioni che fornisce.
Leggi di più:
http://gmaldif-pantarei.blogspot.com


Ma l’ho trovata una lettura assolutamente illuminant

[CopperTopper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, but a background in Central Asian jihadism will greatly enhance your reading experience. I routinely got lost in the morass of individuals, groups, and places named repeatedly in the book. Otherwise, it is fairly readable.

[Nilani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Information was great. Lots of editing and spelling/grammatical errors. More of a 3.5 stars than 4.