Luisa Chiodi will moderate the discussion.
This analysis explores ISIS in Iraq and Syria, along with the rapid changes seen in Muslim-majority countries following the Arab Spring. What is ISIS, how is it structured, and what political motives drive its expansion? How can it attract followers even across the ocean? This alarming phenomenon has given rise to the term "foreign fighters." What strategies allow ISIS to advance so quickly? Two key strengths of the Caliphate are its ability to exploit internal divisions among its opponents to secure victories and attract new recruits, and the fact that Sunnis see ISIS as a defense against Shia forces and Iran in Syria and Iraq. Another tactic is water warfare, an ancient and devastating strategy that can claim more lives than traditional weapons, pushing Western countries to find solutions against the Caliphate's advance.
At the same time, it is essential to examine the portrayal of ISIS in the media and the true situation on the ground: how much is reality and how much is propaganda? In the Western perspective, ISIS has replaced Al Qaeda as a broad label that often includes actions by the Taliban and other extremist groups not directly linked to ISIS. At times, the fragmented and generalized information can be misleading, distorting the actual scale of the phenomenon and contributing to panic.
