Source: BBC
“We need to understand that this is an ideological battle as much as it is a military one—a battle for ideas, for values, for who represents Islam, for who represents the real voice in this region,” said Carnegie’s Marwan Muasher, speaking on the BBC. Muasher argued that Islamic State has peaked in terms of territorial gains in Iraq, although he added that Syria is another story. “If you can’t beat them militarily in a short period of time, then one has to also look at the non-military aspects as well,” he argued.