Despite Threat, U.S. Launches More Airstrikes In Iraq

Published August 21, 2014 at 12:40 PM EDT

Smoke rises after airstrikes targeting Islamic State militants near the Khazer checkpoint outside of the city of Irbil in northern Iraq, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. (Khalid Mohammed/AP)

Since the video showing the execution of American journalist James Foley, the U.S. has conducted more than a dozen airstrikes against the Islamic State in northern Iraq.

In the video, the man who kills Foley says the execution is retribution for the airstrikes and he threatens to kill another American hostage if they are not halted.

So what does this mean for the conflict going forward, and does the Islamic State pose a direct threat to the West? Britain says hundreds of its citizens are fighting with the militants, and officials are concerned they might return to the U.K. and carry out terrorist acts.

Bruce Hoffman, director of the Center for Peace and Security Studies at Georgetown University, tells Here & Now’s Meghna Chakrabarti that the Islamic State delivered a clear message with the execution of James Foley.

“They are not intimidated, they are not going to give in, and that they believe they have a way of inflicting pain on us,” Hoffman said.

Guest

Bruce Hoffman, director of the Center for Security Studies, director of the Security Studies Program and a tenured professor at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. He tweets @hoffman_bruce.