Book

The Caucasus Emirate: Ideology, identity, and insurgency in Russia’s North Caucasus

Between 2007 and 2015, rebels waged armed struggle under the banner of the Caucasus Emirate (Imarat Kavkaz, IK). This book is the first to systematically examine the IK’s ideology. It reveals a group with a weakly developed political programme that consistently prioritised efforts to shape local identities, but also failed to forge a unified movement or revitalise armed struggle. Evaluating the IK’s ideology helps us better understand the past and future of armed struggle in the North Caucasus.

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Book chapter

Interrogating Insurgent Ideologies Through Framing Theory: The Case of the North Caucasus Insurgency

This chapter from The Sociology of Violent Extremism explores how framing theory can be used to analyze the ideological evolution of insurgent groups. The chapter introduces framing as a robust methodology for understanding how insurgent groups’ goals, behaviors, and efforts to shape conflict perceptions are articulated through their ideological material. It then uses the case study of the North Caucasus insurgency to demonstrate how framing theory can be applied in practice.

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Research article

Aristotle’s jihad: Persuasion and rhetoric in Islamic insurgencies

In this article, we consider the applicability of the key components of rhetoric — character (ethos), emotional appeal (pathos) and logic (logos) — to Islamist insurgent movements. Analysing a unique corpus of statements by rebel leaders in the North Caucasus and Syria, we show the importance of persuasion and moving beyond considerations of strategy and doctrine.

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Books and book chapters

• The Caucasus Emirate: Ideology, identity, and insurgency in Russia’s North Caucasus. Manchester University Press.
• ‘Interrogating Insurgent Ideologies Through Framing Theory: The Case of the North Caucasus Insurgency’. The Sociology of Violent Extremism: Theoretical and Sociological Approaches. Oxford University Press.
• ‘The Kadyrovtsy: A Private Army in Chechnya and Beyond‘. Chapter in The Palgrave Handbook of Non-State Actors in East-West Relations. Co-authored with Cerwyn Moore and Annamária Kiss.

Peer-reviewed academic articles

• ‘Aristotle’s jihad: Persuasion and rhetoric in Islamic insurgencies.’ Cooperation and Conflict. Co-authored with Cerwyn Moore and Simon Copeland.
• ‘Replacing the standard bearer: Theorising leadership transition in insurgency.’ European Journal of International Security (2024). Co-authored with Cerwyn Moore.
• ‘Voices of the Caucasus: mapping knowledge production on the Caucasus region.’ Post-Soviet Affairs (2023). Co-authored with Lala Jumayeva, Aleksey Gunya, Lidia Kurbanova and Nino Kemoklidze.
• ‘Crossing the Rubicon: The Limits of Insurgent Violence in Kabardino-Balkaria.’ Perspectives on Terrorism (2020).
• ‘Violent Mobilization and Non-Mobilization in the North Caucasus.’ Perspectives on Terrorism (2020). Co-authored with Julie Wilhelmsen.
• ‘Ideology Along the Contours of Power: The Case of the Caucasus Emirate.’ Perspectives on Terrorism (2020).
• ‘Broader, vaguer, weaker: The evolving ideology of the Caucasus Emirate leadership.’ Terrorism and Political Violence (2019).
• ‘Building “terrorism studies” as an interdisciplinary space: Addressing recurring issues in the study of terrorism.’ Terrorism and Political Violence (2018).
• ‘Between Caucasus and caliphate: The splintering of the North Caucasus insurgency.’ Caucasus Survey (2016).

Phd

• ‘Interpreting the ideological evolution of an insurgency: Lessons from the North Caucasus, 2007-2015,’ PhD thesis, University of Birmingham (2019) (PhD embargoed due to book publication. Go read the book — it’s much better!).

Policy briefs

• ‘Replacing Ramzan: Chechen Succession Planning and the Pivotal Role of Adam Delimkhanov.’ PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo.
• ‘“Russian-Speaking” Fighters in Syria, Iraq and at Home: Consequences and Context.’ Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats Policy Brief (2017). Co-authored with Cerwyn Moore.

Media and other publications

• ‘Chechnya’s war on Ukraine.‘ Riddle Russia (2024).
• ‘Addressing Errors and Inconsistencies in Russia-Related Sanctions Declarations.’ Centre for International Policy Studies (2023).
• ‘Displaced Conflict: Russia’s Qualified Success in Combatting Insurgency.’ Russia Matters (2021). Co-authored with Cerwyn Moore.
• ‘Learning From Ideological Variance And Change.’ Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (2017).
• ‘Guide: The Caucasus Emirate.’ Radicalisation Research (2017). Co-authored with Cerwyn Moore.
• ‘Explainer: The Chechen Conflict.’ Radicalisation Research (2017). Co-authored with Cerwyn Moore.
• ‘Lessons From The Decline Of The North Caucasus Insurgency.’ Crest Security Review, 4 (2017).
• ‘After St Petersburg: Russia and the Threat from Central Asian Terror Networks.’ Royal United Services Institute (2017). Co-authored with Dr Cerwyn Moore.
• ‘Russia’s domestic terrorism threat is serious, sophisticated and complex.’ The Conversation (2017). Co-authored with Dr Cerwyn Moore.
• ‘The North Caucasus Insurgency’s Syrian Balancing Act.’ Jihadology (2013).

Podcast appearances

• I discuss my career and working on Russia with my local radio station, The Cat (2024).
• ‘Terror Attacks in Dagestan‘ (subscribers only). The Warcast by War on the Rocks (2024).
• ‘Insurgency in the North Caucasus and Azerbaijanis grow weary of conflict.’ The Caucasus Digest by OC Media (2023).
• ‘Is this the end of academic freedom in Russia?’ The World Stage by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (2022).
• ‘Jihad in the Northern Caucasus.’ The Loopcast (2018).