Publication

This paper looks at the so-called Islamic State’s (IS) response to targeted killings by forces fighting against the group, focusing particularly on the assumed death of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. After a brief overview of the specific circumstances surrounding Baghdadi’s possible death, the author explores how IS’s internal structure enables the organization to cope with such losses. He also explains how IS’s true power will remain concentrated in the hands of its inner leadership circle even if a new Caliph is nominated in the aftermath of Baghdadi’s death.