Who is “Rustam”: Enablers’ Role in the Islamic State Khorasan’s Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures

Who is “Rustam”: Enablers’ Role in the Islamic State Khorasan’s Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures Since 2022, The Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) has shown an increasing intent to strike at the West. One method they employ is using enablers to identify radicalized individuals and small cells, recruit susceptible individuals, and provide command and control: thereby increasing IS-K’s global presence while seeking to improve perpetrators’ capabilities. Through the examination of three case studies, this paper analyzes the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by IS-K to increase their capability in external operations targeting the West. This study relies on integrating analytic reports from thinktanks, international and government reports with court documents to explain IS-K’s use of enablers with the context of a shifting extremist landscape and it global strategy. It defines the external handler threat by examining IS-K’s strategy and tactics, the risks to the West, and the challenges these operators pose to law enforcement and the intelligence community. It concludes with recommendations to combat this threat.