Benjamin On ISIS as a State and a Threat

Daniel Benjamin, Director of the Dickey Center, answered questions from CNN and PBS this month about the expansion of ISIS.

Prior to the July 4th holiday, Benjamin was asked by the PBS Newshour about the threat in the US from ISIS. He confirmed there had been an alert to authorities to be vigilant, but they "have no credible intelligence on plotting by ISIS in particular in the US." But there is a greater concern because of the "lone wolf" attacks that have occurred, he said.

When asked by CNN about the degree to which the Islamic State is transforming itself into a credible state, he was "quite dubious." The Islamic State "seeks the appearance and status of a state," he said, but it is characterized by "brutalization, extortion and any number of atrocities." When asked whether people in the region would consider the Islamic State or the Iraqi government more of a state, he said, it's "not much of a choice for them."

View the interviews online:

CNN (July 22, 2015)

PBS Newshour (July 3, 2015)