The slaughter of Parisians on November 13 was an act of war. The coordinated attacks, for which Islamic State has claimed responsibility, refute the notion that ISIS had been “contained” — the term Barack Obama used in a TV interview, just a few hours before the bombings and shootings began. Hardly the first time our president has understated the problem. Moreover, by carrying out attacks in the heart of Europe, far from its quasi-state in the Middle East, ISIS has upended the premise that it is mainly a regional menace. But the failure to understand the group runs deeper than just its military-operational capability.

Source: Voices for Reason – Behind the Paris Atrocity, an Enemy We Fail to Understand | The Ayn Rand Institute