The Paris Attacks: Not a Strategic Change, but a “Natural” Development | iNSS

The Paris attacks do not represent a radical or surprising departure from the Islamic State’s strategy against Western nations, and thus what is at work is a natural, calculated development that was planned and organized by the Islamic State. The notion that unlike al-Qaeda, which focused on showcase terrorism in the West as its main action strategy, the Islamic State would avoid international terrorism and concentrate on encouraging sporadic acts of terrorism by lone perpetrators while its main focus was on entrenchment in the Arab sphere was clearly unfounded.