The Heat: The continued threat of ISIL

Islamic Extremism

ISIL has suffered a string of defeats in Syria and Iraq in the last few months. 

Over the weekend, ISIL fighters were forced out of the ancient city of Palmyra by Syrian government forces. But ISIL also claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks that killed more than 30 people in Brussels.

Is the war against ISIL causing it to retreat? How much of a threat does the group still pose?

CCTV America’s Natalie Carney reports from Istanbul, Turkey.

The Heat interviewed the following guests about ISIL and its ongoing threat:

  • Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief of the Arab opinion website, Rai Al-Youm. He’s also the founder and former editor of Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper.
  • Tawfik Hamid, a former member of an Islamic militant group in Egypt and author of “Inside Jihad.”
  • Lorenzo Vidino, the director of the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University. He studies the mobilization of jihadist networks.