This week The Forward Observers challenge some of the conventional wisdom coming out of Washington.  Dr. Daveed Gartensein-Ross, from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy joins the program to discuss how Al Qaeda is far stronger and a greater threat in the longterm than what President Obama and his administration are asserting. And at the same time, even though ISIS is becoming more barbaric and violent, the organization isn’t nearly as powerful as the media thinks it is. As he recently wrote, “What ISIS does have is an uncanny knack for scaring the audience it wants to scare: us. And we, addicted as many of us are to horror and violence in popular culture, seem perversely eager to be frightened.”

In this conversation we’ll learn why beating ISIS may be difficult, but weakening it should be much easier. We’ll also find out why ISIS may be undermining it’s own success and why it’s essential for America to have a policy toward Syria.

For more background, don’t miss Dr. Gartenstein-Ross’s invaluable book, Bid Laden’s Legacy: Why We’re Still Losing the War on Terror 

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