For far too long now far too many people - politicians, pundits, and your average Joe alike - have either simply ignored the Islamic State and the threat it poses to the world or have casually dismissed the severity of the threat, as we saw a few days ago in everyone's "shock" at what the Islamic State did in Paris, despite warnings of such an imminent attack from security analysts and repeated warnings from the Islamic State going back many months.
After Friday's horrendous attacks the politicians and pundits are saying that Islamic State has changed its methodology or even its vision. The only ones who can make such a claim, however, are the ones who know nothing or little of how the Islamic State has been conducting itself and of how it has also said it would conduct itself.
If you find yourself confused about the history, the motives, and the goals of the Islamic State, read this article about what ISIS really wants. It's the best I've seen yet, and I've been reading about the Islamic State for more than eighteen months.
Now that more people are beginning to finally look at the Islamic State and the threat it poses, many are beginning to wonder where the next target will be. Perhaps politicians, pundits, and your average Joe know realize that if the Islamic State could launch a series of attacks in Paris that it can do so anywhere.
This worry led a friend to ask me this morning, "[W]ith all that's happening in the world regarding ISIS and their jihadi actions, is there threat of taking over Rome and capturing the Pope a real threat?"
I have not yet seen any indication that the Islamic State intends to kidnap the Pope (though it has threatened to kill him), but it has issued several warnings that it will attack Rome and has even given us the targets, about which I wrote on 17 February 2015. As might be expected, the threat has not gone away and the Islamic State recently reiterated its desire to attack Rome.
Following the renewed threat by the Islamic State, Italy has closed its airspace over Rome to drones because of fears the IS might use them in an attack during the coming Jubilee of Mercy.
All of this is a long way to say yes, there is reason to be concerned about an attack - or, more likely, a series of attacks - from the Islamic State in Rome.
Let us pray and be watchful.
If you find yourself confused about the history, the motives, and the goals of the Islamic State, read this article about what ISIS really wants. It's the best I've seen yet, and I've been reading about the Islamic State for more than eighteen months.
Now that more people are beginning to finally look at the Islamic State and the threat it poses, many are beginning to wonder where the next target will be. Perhaps politicians, pundits, and your average Joe know realize that if the Islamic State could launch a series of attacks in Paris that it can do so anywhere.
This worry led a friend to ask me this morning, "[W]ith all that's happening in the world regarding ISIS and their jihadi actions, is there threat of taking over Rome and capturing the Pope a real threat?"
I have not yet seen any indication that the Islamic State intends to kidnap the Pope (though it has threatened to kill him), but it has issued several warnings that it will attack Rome and has even given us the targets, about which I wrote on 17 February 2015. As might be expected, the threat has not gone away and the Islamic State recently reiterated its desire to attack Rome.
Following the renewed threat by the Islamic State, Italy has closed its airspace over Rome to drones because of fears the IS might use them in an attack during the coming Jubilee of Mercy.
All of this is a long way to say yes, there is reason to be concerned about an attack - or, more likely, a series of attacks - from the Islamic State in Rome.
Let us pray and be watchful.
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