The evolving threat of the Islamic State

Were Akayed Ullah a more accomplished suicide bomber, we might today be writing about the repercussions of mass casualties in New York’s subway just days before Christmas.

Fortunately, Ullah’s makeshift bomb failed to fully detonate; he was most seriously injured in his own attack. You may ask: What remains of Islamic State? In recent weeks the U.S. and its partners have crushed the last remnants of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria. The terrorists’ dream of an empire lies in shambles.

We had hoped that the defeat of Islamic State on the battlefield would demolish the group’s recruiting appeal.

Unfortunately not. Its violent message still inspires willing wannabes via cyberspace. One British counterterrorism official warns that there is “incitement to attack through the internet, 24-7.”

Eradicating Islamic State on the military battlefield may prove easier than expunging its call to arms on the internet. Cyberspace’s borders are infinite; authorities may play Whac-A-Mole against websites that hoist the banner of hate.

But let’s remember that just two years ago, the ground war against Islamic State raged.

Islamic State is no longer a state. But the threat evolves. Terror groups change tactics to evade law enforcement. A terrible thought: The next bomber, in New York or another city, may not be so inept.