WASHINGTON: Increasingly unable to mount centrally planned, big-impact attacks, the Islamic State group now relies on “virtual entrepreneurs” who work independently from the jihadist leadership to cultivate smaller lone-wolf attacks, researchers say. “These are guys who take it on themselves to come up with innovative new ways to spread jihadist ideology and encourage attacks,” said Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, who with Seamus Hughes authored the research. But later information showed that a Syria-based IS follower, Junaid Hussain, had given the men direction, including choosing the target, the study noted. They coach targets, and often work to convince people hoping to join IS in the Middle East to instead stay in the United States and design an attack there. “As things started getting harder for them, they turned to at least keeping some sort of presence in the West by these sort of lower level attacks,” said Meleagrou-Hitchens.

Source: Manila Times March 11, 2017 03:00 UTC