IS dangerous when cornered

HAS desperation driven the Islamic State into committing more barbaric acts? Analysts interviewed by CNN think so. They say the brutal execution of American aid volunteer Peter Kassig last week is a sign that the jihadist extremist group is feeling the pressure from the airstrikes launched by the US and its allies, and, like a cornered animal, is furiously fighting back.

“I think it’s a sign of desperation,” one analyst told CNN. “I think it’s a sign that they know and feel they are under attack, they’re under siege and they’re struggling.”