Daesh (ISIS) supporters have been claiming attacks left and right, from Syria and Iraq all the way to the US. Some may be left wondering what the difference is between violence instigated by the Daesh group directly and by individuals who happen to support Daesh.
And the answer? There is no difference.
Back in June we reported on a former Daesh militant, Abu al-Waleed al-Maqdisi, who appeared to have defected when he didn't agree with some of the group's practices. An audio recording allegedly of al-Maqdisi said the group didn't have any "mechanism for joining."
That means anyone can claim an attack on behalf of Daesh and become part of the group. And it may be a smart strategic tactic.
The lack of an official joining process makes the group seem more powerful than they really are. Any isolated extremist reading the news and feeling inspired by Daesh videos can incite violence without warning.
If the militants want to leave a strong impression, they need to prove their expansive reach. That act can not only leave the impression of a lack of security in those countries, but also of a larger extremist organization that's much smarter, with much greater influence.
By Hayat Norimine
