Preventing a Jihadist Factory in Idlib

Roger - that and the one added were the two I was mentioning. If you read both looking for what is IS's perception of defeat.. you only find ours. But each have some of the differences between the two.... but not said is this is global - and IS ideology is far stronger and different that AQ... not sure that it is a gap that can be overcome.

LTC Eric Udouj - the only wild card I see is, does IS ideology reach more of the younger generation in those regions and AQ's more 'moderate' ideology (if there's such a thing as a moderate extremist ideology) does.

Its not a wild card between the two - IS holds an full house. They are some of the most effective social marketing gurus that have come along - and they have gotten that message out globally. Does make it hard to recruit for AQ. But we never stand that on its head and ask - how can we take this to our advantage in fighting both groups......

LTC Eric Udouj - if this meeting between the two really did occur, we may have missed our window. IS has the manpower AQ is looking for, AQ has the established networks & resources that IS wants. It feels like things there are about the take a major swing in the wrong direction. Maybe that's just the pessimist in me?