ISIS Makes the Same Mistake as al-Qaeda

So far, ISIL have succeeded as a terror group by not making the mistakes that Al Qaeda made. They bided their time, made alliances, sought to exploit divisions within Iraq and Syria, conquered and held territory and kept the lights on. But waging a global jihad is a very different thing. It provokes retribution; it creates new enemies and pitches a small band of rebels against the massed ranks of the civilised world. That, ideologically, may be a comfortable place to be for a group like ISIL. But it is politically deadly. Just ask Al Qaeda.