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Why does Isis slay hostages? To cover up the fact that it’s losing

The Islamic State’s real social media skill makes commentators too willing to believe its shaky territorial claims

10 January 2015

9:00 AM

10 January 2015

9:00 AM

At this point in the war between the jihadist group known as the Islamic State and a US-led international coalition, many observers are wondering how Isis keeps winning. Isis is up against western air power and powerful regional opponents, and yet has apparently seized a territory larger than the United Kingdom, and is expanding into Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, and elsewhere.

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Daveed Gartenstein-Ross is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies and an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University.

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