ISIS made two videos and said DC is next.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

That would be the mother of all game changers and would open the proverbial gates of Hell.

[Iliyah]

1. Thats extactly what the terrorist wants.

[Orsino]

13. Exactly what the terrorist wants Americans to believe, anyway.

However, were they able to have mounted such attacks here, they would have already done so. They don't want us prepared; they want us frightened.

[tabasco]

32. Yes, we should never respond with force when our people are murdered,

lest we give the terrorists "exactly what they want."

Terrorists like the medieval ISIS are not exactly the greatest strategic political thinkers the world has ever produced. Has it ever occurred to you that delusional terrorists might not have a good grasp of what might happen to them if the west collectively launches a full military assault? Their religion-twisted minds probably believe they will maintain their "caliphate" and defeat the "infidel" armies.

I always laugh when I see people post "that's what the terrorists want." As if terrorists are some sort of brilliant, objective planners who can deceive the civilized countries into their nefarious and inescapable trap. In fact, they are delusional religious zealots who will be quite surprised when they "get what they want" and their "caliphate" is wiped into the dustbin of history.

[Divernan]

2. Of all extreme posts to make with NO link!

Calm down and stop posting until you can do so responsibly.

[bananas]

3. It's in LBN, go look for yourself. nt

[napkinz]

4. Islamic State threatens attack on Washington, other countries

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/11/16/islamic-state-threatens-attack-on-washington-other-countries/21266805/

[KG]

5. no worries, NSA and HSA got this!

[philosslayer]

6. "open the proverbial gates of Hell"

What does that mean? Is that your opinion? Or stated Government policy. And what would the "proverbial gates of Hell" mean to you? What do you think would happen?

These inflammatory general statements mean nothing without specifics. Please elaborate.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. Invoking of Article 5 by NATO for starters.

EOM

[philosslayer]

10. Is not France a member of NATO?

Why would an attack on Washington DC invoke Article 5, while an attack on Paris would not?

Please explain to me how our response will be different if Washington DC is attacked. Please elaborate on the details of the "Gates of Hell"

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. Troops on the ground...

What should the American response be if ISIS perpetrates a Paris style attack on DC?

[philosslayer]

14. So let me get this straight....

If Wash DC (or anyplace else in the US) gets attacked by ISIS, our response will be "boots on the ground". We will wait to be attacked, and then respond with ground forces.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. They aren't boots on the ground. They are human beings who will be shot at.

A Paris style attack on DC would raise the stakes exponentially and if not handled properly would strengthen the forces on the right and quite possibly hand the White House to the Republicants in 2016.

[philosslayer]

18. Based on your logic...

Since ISIS is an ongoing threat, shouldn't we put these troops on the ground BEFORE they attack us? Why wait? And you never answered the question why Article 5 would be invoked if Wash DC was attacked, but not Paris.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. To be candid it is beyond my ken to fashion an effective response to terrorism.

To be candid it is beyond my ken to fashion an effective response to terrorism. If there were an effective response available terrorism would have been eliminated.

It is easier to describe what the response will be.

The French president has said his nation is at war. That makes the invocation of Article Five superfluous if not perfunctory.

[RiffRandell]

7. At least the current administration would take the threat seriously

but what I don't get is why announce where/who you are going to attack?

I woke up today and the news is saying France was warned.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

9. and if the Paris attack is a template

They'll try to assault areas where the demographic is predominately young and liberal.

[jonno99]

11. Liberal? Where do you see that in the "template"? nt

[philosslayer]

15. See link below

http://fusion.net/story/233036/paris-attack-young-progressive-core/

[philosslayer]

20. Is this a serious post?

Have you been paying attention at all? "Natural pool of supporters"? You think progressives could potentially be ISIS supporters?

ISIS doesn't WANT supporters. The only supporters they want are those who will join with them to kill as many people as possible.

Wow.

[jonno99]

22. I guess I was a little too nuanced. This is both a cultural as well as a political struggle.

Why specifically attack progressives? Many of these will unwittingly join conservatives in their anti-immigrant anti-Muslim rhetoric - which is certainly running in high-gear today.

My two cents...

[philosslayer]

23. Which is exactly what ISIS wants!!!

ISIS LOVES anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric. It drives disaffected Muslims directly into their arms.

[Lizzie Poppet]

26. These people are arch-conservatives.

Everything about modern progressive culture is repellent to fundy assholes like Daesh. I very much suspect that the idea of "decadent" progressives being supporters horrifies them, actually. Daesh aren't interested in support from infidels, apostates, etc.

[jonno99]

29. Agree. And this touches on the "problem" of having a free and open society. Isis will use our

openness and tolerance against us - knowing that we will not treat them the way they would treat us...

[Township75]

16. Isis is contained and we gave up our liberties to the NSA so we should be fine

If anything bad happens then we can point fingers at the NRA and say that they claimed they would stop this too. We got all the scenarios covered.

[libdem4life]

24. Just a suggestion heard from the parent of a soldier. ..

Boots on the ground is another New term to sanitize and de-humanize war and carnage. Boots aren't killed...young men and women are.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

25. Mentioned in Post#17

Thank you for your children's service.

[libdem4life]

27. Yes...thanks...missed it but twice never hurts.

[Bucky]

28. Maybe we should surrender now.

[Marrah_G]

30. Isis would regret that move if successful

They think they are under fire now? I really hope they are not that stupid because I really don't want to see our men and women deployed again.

[Tipperary]

31. I just do not believe they have the capability.

But they certainly want us to believe that they do.

[840high]

34. They did in France. All it

takes is a few cells.

[GeorgeGist]

33. Are you thinking glassphalt parking lots?