From the dawn of Islam, practicing Muslims have sought to control territory.  More often than not they sought to dominate people and lands in the name of the prophet.    The Ottoman empire which lasted for 100’s of years is just one example of many where the military might of Islam was translated in economic and religious domination.   Even if you call it Jihad, it is no different than the territorial ambitions expressed by Putin as he annexed the Crimea.   It’s land hungry aggressors against all who will not stand up.

The Islamic nature of the war against ISIS may make the process seem more brutal, but I would contend that the brutality is no different than the brutality exercised by Islamic dictators since the time Mohammed walked the earth.  Hezbollah has taken over and controls much of Lebanon.  The Taliban had controlled Afghanistan.  The use of terror to cow and frighten your enemies is not new either.  It is an always has been a part of war.

The reason that Muslims have not been trying to overrun the world in the past few years is that western armies had defeated them.  They had lost the war.  In Afghanistan and Iraq they had been pushed far back.  The Ottoman empire was disassembled.   They were not pushed back by spineless leaders scared of conducting a war, but by leaders willing to shed blood to put the enemy in its place.    Win the territory, win the war.  It has always been this way and will always be that way.  ISIS now has their sites on a new piece of land, while we pretend to be conducting an anti-terrorist activity instead of a war.  We are doomed to lose unless we realize what evil people have done since time memorial and oppose them on those terms.