THE world needs to step up its game because right now it is losing the war on the Islamic State (IS), says Assoc Prof Kumar Ramakrishna.

He says that it has just been over a year since IS made its mark – when it declared in June 2014 that it had set up an Islamic “caliphate” and would govern lands under its control according to Syariah law – and already it is seen to be more successful than the older, more established al-Qaeda.

He says while al-Qaeda does talk about a caliphate, it was something that would exist in the future, but the IS is eager to begin now and has already seized territory in Syria and Iraq.

… Kumar is with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore and a much sought after commentator on radicalisation and counter-terrorism.