@article{ref1,
title="Strategic targeting: the Islamic State and use of violence in Iraq and Syria",
journal="Terrorism and political violence",
year="2022",
author="Burch, Michael and Pizzi, Elise",
volume="34",
number="6",
pages="1162-1184",
abstract="What explains the specific location of Islamic State attacks in Syria and Iraq? We consider how both ethnic and economic factors shape the group's decision-making about where to attack. We explore these competing motivations using spatial analysis of the Islamic State's individual acts of violence from 2013-2017. We find that both areas with ethnic heterogeneity and valuable economic rents are associated with more individual Islamic State violent events. By examing the micro-foundations of the Islamic State's conflict decisions, we provide further nuance to understanding the strategic logic of rebel groups during wartime.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0954-6553",
doi="10.1080/09546553.2020.1763963",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2020.1763963"
}