Pledging Allegiance to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State: The Causes and Consequences of Rhetorical Cooperation
Open Access DepositedDozens of jihadist organizations pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) in recent years. Far from cheap talk, jihadist organizations sacrifice autonomy and risk causing internal fragmentation, increasing state repression, and losing support among local populations by pledging to al-Qaeda or IS. Exploring this phenomenon, this dissertation analyzes why armed groups rhetorically cooperate and how such cooperation affects organizational behavior. Existing research on militant alliances primarily focuses on organizational-level variables and argues that rhetorical cooperation matters little for understanding relations between armed groups. In contrast, I contend that particular leaders are key in driving oaths of fealty to al-Qaeda and IS and highlight how this form of cooperation may influence organizations’ tactics and the durability of alliances. I constructed original datasets on jihadist organizations’ oaths of allegiance, leadership dynamics, and use of beheadings to examine these arguments. These cross-regional datasets provide new insight into the behavior of 161 jihadist organizations operating in 41 countries between 2000 and 2019. I also trace the trajectories of various jihadist leaders and organizations in Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Mali, the Philippines, Somalia, Uzbekistan, and Yemen over time. To do so, I analyze Arabic- and English-language documents, magazines, newspapers, and videos produced by jihadist organizations. This dissertation contributes to research on armed group cooperation, individuals in conflict processes, tactical innovation, and the durability of militant alliances.
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