تروریسم

Although President Abbas has condemned Tuesday's attack in Jerusalem, he allows his advisors and official media to praise the perpetrators as heroes, while his government pays stipends to convicted terrorists and their families.

The group's now-formalized annexation model could have direct political and security consequences in several countries, creating a more complex threat environment for the U.S.-led coalition.

Even as Rabat sends delegations abroad to garner support for its security programs, the question remains: Why is Morocco one of the largest sources of IS fighters in the Arab world?

Given its recent track record of targeting Israelis, Hezbollah's decision to take public responsibility for a new border attack likely has more to do with burnishing its domestic "resistance" credentials than sending a deterrent signal to Israel.

Given the violent message the group continues to convey in Arabic to viewers young and old, it will be difficult to achieve full Palestinian reconciliation, a long-term ceasefire with Israel, or large-scale reconstruction of Gaza.

Coordinated Israeli, Jordanian, and allied assistance in the south could boost the moderate Syrian rebels there, stave off an extremist takeover, and facilitate the ongoing international campaign against ISIS.

Lebanon's precarious state has worsened as ISIS beheads citizens and holds troops and police hostage.

Military force and Treasury designations are great tools for curbing the group's oil smuggling and fundraising efforts, but most of its money comes from local criminal enterprises that are much more difficult to counter.

Targeting Khorasan's leader is important, but what makes the group so frightening is its presence in Syria, where al-Qaeda explosives experts can mingle with radicalized foreign fighters carrying Western passports.