logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2016
23m 29s

Is Islamic State Finished?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

So-called Islamic State is on the run. Caught in a pincer movement in Syria and Iraq, the group has lost large swathes of territory over the past year. With its revenues and numbers of fighters also dwindling, the demise of the caliphate appears all but unavoidable. And yet many caution against writing them off too soon, pointing to the group’s proven ability to change tactics. Already, they have redirected their efforts to launching terrorist operations around the world. And their ideology is still proving an effective recruiting sergeant.

Presenter: Helena Merriman

Producers: Estelle Doyle and Laura Gray

(Photo:Syrian soldier sets fire to an Islamic State (IS) group flag after Syrian troops regained control the previous day of al-Qaryatain Credit: JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images)

Up next
Jan 13
Is nuclear disarmament set to self-destruct?
In February 2026, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty bilateral between Russia and the United States is set to expire. The aim of the New START agreement was to reduce and limit the number of strategic nuclear warheads, but once this treaty comes to an end it means the ... Show More
24m 12s
Jan 6
Can Kenya answer the call for employment?
Kenya is facing rising public discontent over allegations of political corruption, economic stagnation and a shortage of good quality jobs, particularly for the country’s Gen Z. One of the government’s flagship responses is an ambitious push into digital outsourcing. It argues th ... Show More
23m 56s
Dec 30
How did music megatours become such a money spinner?
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shattered records, becoming the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, redefining what’s possible and confirming a new era in the business of touring. As streaming transformed how we listen to music, selling records is no longer the financial centrepi ... Show More
23m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
ISIS's enduring threat in Syria and Iraq
On this week's episode, Director of MEI's Syria and Countering Terrorism and Extremism Programs Charles Lister speaks with MEI Editor-in-Chief Alistair Taylor on the resurgence of the Islamic State, or ISIS, in Syria and Iraq. This episode is the first in a several-part series lo ... Show More
28m 2s
Sep 2024
ISIS and the detainee dilemma
<p>Shiraz Maher - Co-Director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) - and Charles Lister - Director of MEI's Syria and Countering Terrorism and Extremism Programs - speak to MEI Editor in Chief Alistair Taylor about ISIS and the detainee dilemma. What ... Show More
27m 44s
Aug 2023
What's Next for Al Qaeda and The Islamic State | Peter Bergen
<p>Peter Bergen is one of the world's foremost experts on global jihadist movements like the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. He is a journalist who has covered this beat for decades, including the first television interview with Osama Bin Laden in 1997.  Peter Bergen discusses where ... Show More
31m 2s
Feb 2025
Al Shara warns armed groups in Syria and Egypt sees a way forward after Gaza war
Syria's leader Ahmad Al Shara said on Tuesday that the country must unite around a state that has a “monopoly” on weapons. The former capital of the ISIS caliphate in Syria is facing an uncertain future, much like the rest of the country. After over a year of political and econom ... Show More
5m 6s
Jun 2025
What's the impact of rising violence caused by Boko Haram and ISIL in Nigeria?
Renewed violence by armed groups Boko Haram and ISIL has forced thousands of people to leave their homes in Nigeria. Despite repeated government pledges, the military has been unable to end the violence. So why is it continuing and what threats does it pose? In this episode: Kabi ... Show More
25m 16s
Jan 2024
Does Iran control Shiite militias that are attacking US forces in Iraq and Syria? Two leading experts weigh in
<p>The deaths of three US servicemen Sunday in an attack by an Iran-backed Shiite militia at a base wedged between Syria and Jordan has raised the specter of a direct confrontation between the United States and Iran like never before. But are things as black and white as they see ... Show More
37m 5s
Dec 2024
Israel carries out hundreds of airstrikes across Syria
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed it has troops operating in Syrian territory beyond the demilitarized buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It added that its strikes were to prevent weapons falling "into the hands of extremists" as Syria transitions ... Show More
47m 28s
Mar 2025
What is behind the clashes in Syria?
<p>With hundreds dead after days of fighting between armed supporters of former leader Bashar al-Assad and government forces, the worst violence since al-Assad's fall, Syrians are grappling with how to move forward. Days ahead of the 14th anniversary of Syria's uprising, the coun ... Show More
24m 2s