The Taliban's Virtual Emirate

Nothing less than astonishing-it is a blueprint for how to do cultural analysis of terrorist/insurgent activity online. The depth of what's on offer here should only spur more academics to figure out how they too can do work like this. -- John G. Horgan, author, The Psychology of Terrorism Aggarwal has a detailed understanding of the group, the culture, and their use of language. The scientific research presented when discussing psychological concepts is accurate and wholly representable and (more importantly) relevant and interesting to the discussions. -- Neil D. Shortland, Center for Terrorism & Security Studies Aggarwal, who is trained in cultural psychology, demonstrates how to conduct systematic discourse analysis and wed this to leadership analysis. The Taliban's Virtual Emirate will be seen as essential reading for both practitioners and academic analysts. -- Jerrold M. Post, professor emeritus of Political Psychology, Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University While a growing number of students of conflict acknowledge the growing role of the virtual realm, as well as related social networks, in the various facets and activities of political and militant movements, we still lack effective understanding of the way in which militant political groups use virtual mechanisms to disseminate their ideology and monopolize ideological discourse. Thus, it is difficult to understate the importance of Taliban's Virtual Emirate, which provides a comprehensive and intelligent analysis of the use of the virtual space by one of the more successful and violent contemporary ideological movements. Scholars, practitioners, and others who are interested in the new ways militant groups shape their communities' and other constituencies' perceptions and understanding of the political reality should read this book. -- Arie Perliger, Director of Terrorism Studies, Combating Terrorism Center, United States Military Academy