A map of the 'world' according to the Islamic State. A fire raging out of control?

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad — Sat, 30 May 2015 02:33:35 -0400

The Islamic State had one of its most successful weeks recently with the capture of Ramadi in Iraq and Palmyra in Syria. But another statement about the group is also quite disturbing: The militants established 10 networks outside of Iraq and Syria, according to the Soufan Group.

What's more: These Islamic State strongholds are only the ones that the jihadists have publicly accepted as part of their growing caliphate. Several others have pledged allegiance to the group, but only these were actually acknowledged.

The theory behind this speaks to the Islamic State strategy. The networks — "three in Libya, two in Saudi Arabia, and one each in Sinai, Nigeria, Yemen, Algeria, and Khorasan in Pakistan and Afghanistan" — are seen as liaisons that won't easily become lost or overtaken by other forces, according to the Soufan Group.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/05/29/map-the-world-according-to-the-islamic-state/?tid=HP_world?tid=HP_world

Map: The world according to the Islamic State

The group now has ten established networks around the world.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made May 30 at 2015 2:37 AM

Capt Seid Waddell — Sat, 30 May 2015 02:37:06 -0400

The longer we wait to take them on the harder it is going to be to defeat them.

The world's reluctance to fight the growing menace reminds me of the world of the 1930s watching the Nazi buildup, unwilling to recognize the threat.

That cost 60 million lives before it was over, and that was before the world had nuclear weapons. This time the cost of inaction will be much higher.