In this master's thesis, the researcher, representing the Kazakhstan Armed Forces at CGSC, offers a set of recommendations to the military decision makers with possible solutions to counter the radical religious propaganda of Daesh. By exploring the relevance and importance of propaganda for this terrorist group strategy. This research states the problem and analyzes solutions using the Applied Professional Case Study Model with embedded Army Design Methodology, SCAME (Propaganda Analysis) Technique by determining the Operational Approach, the Stakeholder Analysis as well as Short and Middle-Term Plan. Additionally, the research analyzes Daesh's information campaign as a case study built on information collected from unclassified documents and interviews of a subject matter expert. This research also pursues an understanding about Daesh propaganda apparatus, mastered platforms, and examines Daesh propaganda products using the SCAME Technique, an analytical tool widely practiced in the U.S. Army. Finally, this research used primarily CARL resources as well as available open-source data. Unclassified collected data includes recent studies conducted in the Institute for the Study of War, the NATO Strategic Communication Center of Excellence, and other think tank organizations providing in-depth multidisciplinary analysis of Daesh propaganda. This operational approach is based on newly developed Theory of the Maneuver in the Narrative Space.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)