Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS

My interview with Washington Post reporter, Joby Warrick, is now available on the Professional Military Education podcast and can also be streamed below. We had an important discussion about his Pulitzer Prize winning book, Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS. We talk about the history of the organization and its founder, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Mr. Warrick talks about the history of the terrorist group from its inception in a Jordanian prison to the the Iraq War and into the Arab Spring and Syrian Civil War. As we wade through the history, the past fight, the current fight, the conversation becomes a giant brainstorming session on effective strategies to defeat the terrorist group. I ask Mr. Warrick for his thoughts on defeating them, and he offers a few important points. Our discussion and his book is a great start. Indeed one cannot defeat an enemy without properly studying them and getting inside their heads. So I implore the listener to pay attention and take notes. Everyone has a role to play in this fight. Everyone has a role to play in a war of ideas. Like all wars, the battlefield does not define success. Success happens in the realm of national strategy, effective policy, and public opinion. Please listen, leave a review, and share this important conversation.