Publication

This paper provides an overview of the rapid rise and subsequent fall in the fortunes of the Jihadi-Salafi group Ansar al-Sharia Tunisia (AST) following Tunisia's revolution in 2011. In particular, the author discusses 1) the origins of AST; 2) the popularity AST received by exploiting gaps in the government's social service provision; 3) AST's role in encouraging Tunisians to fight in the civil war in Syria; 4) how AST became increasingly violent as it gained popularity; 5) the Tunisian government's designation of AST as a terrorist group following two political assassinations in 2013; and 6) AST's subsequent decline when it could no longer provide charity and preach openly.