social scientific methods, what is it that the leaders of militant groups do to increase the odds of political success? and what i found essentially and this was well before baghdadi was killed or before the caliphate imploded is that islamic state wasn t being led correctly, particularly in its use of violence. what smart timilitant leaders d is the restraining effect on low-level member. they tell low-level members not to commit too much violence not to operate in certain country, not to strike particular targets like children and other civilians, because that will only attract sort of the wrath of the world. baghdadi didn t do any of these things. it was like essentially a university with no admission standard. absolutely anybody could become a member of islamic state, even