WITH MUCH OF INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION gripped by the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, the Islamic State militant group has been steadily ramping up operations across continents and setting the stage for a resurgence of global mayhem.
This latent threat came to life on March 22, with ISIS claiming responsibility for a massacre that killed 144 people at a concert held at Crocus City Hall outside of Moscow. It marked the deadliest militant attack on Russian soil in two decades. Experts and officials warn the next operation could target virtually anyone, including U.S. citizens.
Just one day before the attack, U.S. Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla told lawmakers in Congress that “ISIS-Khorasan retains the capability and the will to attack U.S. and Western interests abroad in as little as six months with little to no warning.” More recently, the group has made threats to UEFA matches across Europe and the upcoming Paris Olympics.
The attack in Russia reclaimed international headlines for the jihadis who, at their peak just a decade ago, presided over a self-styled caliphate spanning the size of Portugal. However, the roots of ISIS’ attempted resurgence have been
