ISIS: On the Verge of Defeat or Transforming Itself for the Long Haul?

While ISIS has ceded territory in Iraq, Syria, and most recently in Libya, retreat is not a clear indication that the terrorist organization is on the verge of defeat. Rather, ISIS has compensated for territorial losses in Iraq and Syria by establishing new affiliations in areas that do not affect foreign fighter flow. These areas are now under attack by anti-ISIS proxies with U.S. air support. Is the U.S. doing enough to stop the spread of ISIS? Is ISIS losing, or is it morphing into an Al-Qaeda style organization that might metastasize across the Middle East and North Africa?

On September 13, Hudson Institute hosted a panel discussion on the current U.S. strategy to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIS. Nada Bakos, Amanda Kadlec, and Michael Pregent assessed the effectiveness of American strategy and examined whether ISIS is adapting to a model that will allow it to persevere for decades like Al-Qaeda.