What Baghdadi's death means for the future of ISIS

ISIS flag.
(Image credit: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)

When rumblings of the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi were first heard overnight before President Trump confirmed the news Sunday morning, it inevitably drew comparisons to the death of former Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011. But experts have warned the two events might not be so similar.

It mostly has to do with the differences in how ISIS and Al Qaeda are structured. The latter was heavily reliant on bin Laden's singular leadership and charisma, so while the terrorist organization still exists, it has weakened somewhat. Experts don't think that will necessarily happen with ISIS, which has placed a greater emphasis on organizational structure.

See more

That is not to say Baghdadi's death is irrelevant; he was an important figure within ISIS and his absence will surely negatively affect his followers and could hinder international recruitment which has already slowed in recent years, but analysts expect ISIS will be able to withstand the loss in some capacity, meaning the U.S. and its allies will likely have to continue to prevent the group's resurgence. Tim O'Donnell

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
See more

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.

Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.