The Lessons of Islamic State
... painful and unpredictable transformation of the system of international relations, as the new world order acquires its tentative shape, Islamism, including its radical and extremist branches, is becoming of one of the informal poles of power. Islamic extremism will go full circle. Having failed to preserve Islamic State, extremists will focus on punishing their “offenders” by returning to the methods previously employed by al-Qaeda. “Lone wolves” will also become more active, and the tactics of individual terrorism will become a strategy used by extremists. We are seeing such developments today. Fourth, the idea of an Islamic State has not disappeared. It is still floating ...