The horrific attacks that took place in Paris on Friday evening seem to signal a change in direction on the part of the so-called Islamic State (IS) and raise enormous questions regarding how the threat this poses to European security can be dealt with. Until recently, the core strategy of IS had been to consolidate its position in the territory under its control in Syria and Iraq while encouraging its supporters and adherents in Europe and further afield to conduct ‘lone wolf’ attacks where this was feasible. In this regard, its approach differed significantly from that of al- Qaeda, which has long focused on what it deems to be ‘the far enemy’ – the United States – rather than the ‘near...
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