The Present Strategy Of The Islamic State Is To Consolidate The Regions That They Control While Waging War Against Their Neighbors

Despite the group's notoriety across the globe following its formation last year, its workings and structure has been difficult to pin down

Islamic State Uses Brutality, Threats In Effort To Entrench Without Interference -- Washington Post

James Foley beheading video a calculated effort to deter U.S. intervention in Iraq, Syria: analysts

The Islamic State terrorist army’s brutality and threats against America on Aug. 19 are signs it’s focusing on entrenching its so-called Muslim caliphate — without interference.

Analysts believe that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has calculated that beheading American journalist James Foley for the world to see will work as a deterrent against the U.S. as he cements cruel Shariah law in captured cities and villages in Syria and Iraq.

“They don’t want intervention at this time from the United States, and they’re trying to deter that,” said William Braniff, director of the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland. “They have something else they want to focus on, and they don’t want to be derailed. What that [means] is the Islamic State is building the institutions of the caliphate.”

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My Comment: The avalanche of pundits and experts on the Islamic State that have hit the airways in the past two months have been overwhelming .... but even after all of this coverage and discussion .... apparently we still do not have a good grasp (at least publicly) on the people who are running this organization.