Chuck Holton
Politics • Culture • News
DAESH 2.0 is Here
ISIS Is Making a Comeback – And the World Is Letting It Happen
February 16, 2025
post photo preview
ISIS Attacker in Austria holds up the ISIS symbol of victory as he is detained by police

 

When a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Austria by a Syrian refugee who pledged allegiance to ISIS, the world barely took notice. It was yet another tragic, random act of violence in the news cycle—except it wasn’t random. Authorities found an ISIS flag in the attacker’s home. He was radicalized online. And he was following a playbook that has been in circulation for years, waiting for the right conditions to spark a resurgence.

Those conditions are here.

ISIS isn’t just making a comeback—it’s been waiting in the shadows, watching, recruiting, and preparing. And right now, global security efforts are being scaled back, giving them exactly what they need: less resistance. While the world thought ISIS had been defeated, they were actually regrouping, recruiting online, and infiltrating via immigration into Europe and the U.S. This story isn’t over—it may just be getting started, and the next chapter could be even worse.

A Global Fight Against ISIS

The fight against ISIS was never just about the U.S. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) played a massive role in dismantling the so-called caliphate, losing over 12,000 fighters in the process. They did this with U.S. backing, intelligence, and air support, but they bore the brunt of the ground war. European and Middle Eastern nations also contributed to efforts in counterterrorism, cyber warfare, and military strikes.

But now, that collective effort is fading.

Recent ISIS-Linked Attacks

ISIS-affiliated violence is on the rise again:

  • Austria (2025): A Syrian asylum seeker radicalized online stabbed a 14-year-old boy to death and injured five others in Villach.

  • Somalia (2025): ISIS fighters launched deadly assaults on military bases, leading to clashes with security forces.

  • Syria (2025): A growing number of ISIS sleeper cells have attacked Syrian Democratic Forces and civilians.

  • Iraq (2024): A bombing in Baghdad killed dozens, claimed by an ISIS affiliate.

  • Turkey (2024): Authorities foiled a planned terrorist attack in Istanbul, arresting suspects with ties to ISIS.

Syria’s Power Vacuum and the Perfect Storm for Extremists

The Middle East is once again in chaos. Syria is leaderless. The power vacuum left behind is exactly the kind of environment that breeds extremism. ISIS fighters, who never truly left, are emerging from hiding, seizing weapons from abandoned military stockpiles, and reorganizing. They are finding ungoverned spaces to train, recruit, and spread their propaganda.

And what is happening? The U.S. and its allies are pulling away.

The Biden administration has cut aid that supported Kurdish forces who helped dismantle ISIS in the first place. International funding once kept prisons in Syria operational—prisons that house thousands of ISIS fighters. Now, with that funding slashed, there is growing fear of prison riots and mass breakouts. If that happens, thousands of battle-hardened jihadists will be free to launch attacks across the world.

The Digital Battlefield – ISIS Is Winning Online

ISIS doesn’t need territory to be deadly. They have adapted. Their battlefield is digital, and their recruitment efforts online have been disturbingly effective. The Austrian attacker? Radicalized through ISIS propaganda on the internet. And he’s not alone.

Social media platforms, despite their best efforts, remain breeding grounds for extremist content. Encrypted messaging apps make it nearly impossible to track recruitment. Young, disaffected men—whether in Europe, the U.S., or the Middle East—are being lured in through propaganda videos, Telegram chats, and even gaming platforms.

The playbook is simple: find an alienated individual, feed them a cause, and push them toward action.

And it’s working. ISIS-affiliated attacks are happening again in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In Somalia, they’ve launched deadly assaults on military bases. In Syria, they are regaining ground.

And soon, they’ll be targeting the West again.

The World Cannot Afford to Step Back

While the U.S. played a key role in dismantling ISIS, it was never the only force capable of holding them back. The Kurds fought on the ground, regional forces engaged in counterterrorism, and international coalitions provided crucial intelligence. But as Western nations reduce military presence, cut funding, and ignore the growing digital threat, they are creating an opening for ISIS to return in full force.

We’ve seen this story before. In 2011, when American troops left Iraq, it created the exact conditions that allowed ISIS to rise in the first place. History is repeating itself, and this time, the threat extends far beyond the Middle East.

Stopping ISIS requires sustained global cooperation—not just military action but intelligence-sharing, digital counterterrorism efforts, and funding to stabilize the regions where ISIS thrives. If the world ignores this threat, we will pay for it—sooner rather than later.

ISIS isn’t dead. It was just waiting. And now, it’s waking up. The question is: will we stop it before it’s too late?

community logo
Join the Chuck Holton Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
9
What else you may like…
Videos
Podcasts
Posts
Articles
September 18, 2025
Benjamin Netanyahu Explains the Israeli Economy

Netanyahu was once Israeli Finance Minister - and it shows. He understands a lot about economics, and is worth listening to in order to get a sense for where Israel's economy is headed.

00:08:49
September 12, 2025
Video of Kirk’s Killer

BREAKING: The FBI and state of Utah have just released video of the Charlie Kirk kiIIer escaping from the scene following the shooting

He jumped off the rooftop, moved quickly through the parking lot, and then began walking casually to blend in before entering a wooded area.

He was wearing converse tennis shoes, a shirt with an eagle, and a baseball cap with a triangle.

00:00:43
September 07, 2025
Houthi Drone Strikes Israel - Two Wounded

Three Houthi drones were fired at Israel on Sunday. Two were shot down and the third struck the airport in Eilat, Wounding to his Israelis and causing the airspace to be shut down.

00:00:07
Episode 622 - Field Producer Dennis Azato and Chuck Reminisce

My erstwhile field producer and cameraman Dennis Azato has accompanied me on ten years of adventures across the globe. Today he joins me in Ukraine and we spend some time remembering our many trips together.

Episode 622 - Field Producer Dennis Azato and Chuck Reminisce

“They Found THE MONEY Funding ANTIFA RIOTS!!! 60K views · 1 hour ago...more Dr. Steve Turley

&
“Canada ERUPTS as Mexican Cartels Do The UNTHINKABLE!
55K views · 1 day ago ...more
PJ The Belt

So BLESSED to be of leadeeehip as President Trump who closed boarders and BLESSED with Clean Up Crews/Defense Forces as Military, Law Enforcement, ICE and such - with extra BLESSINGS in Florida with a Governor such as Governor DeSantis & His Team Such As OUTSTANDING Sheriff Grady working with ICE et such:

"INVASION" Mob STRIKES Chicago Jail… FRONTLINE Marines IGNORE Judge, SMASH Illegals 302K views · 6 hours ago

“ICE & Sheriff Grady BUST Florida Human Trafficking Ring | 255 Arrested 9.2K views · 2 days ago [about some such Great busts]

Looters EMPTY 63 LA Stores… Mayor PANICS as "Sanctuary" DEVOURS ITSELF
330K views · 12 hours ago

ICE DESTROYS Chinese Cartel Operation in Florida - 370 Pounds of Cocaine Seized AND 30 Captured!
22K views · 7 days ago

"And who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people—to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt? For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God."
(1 Chronicles 17: 21-22)

U.S. Special Operations Reportedly Operating in Mexico: The Quiet War on the Cartels

There are new and highly intriguing reports surfacing this week about what’s happening just south of the border — and if true, they could mark a major escalation in America’s shadow war against the drug cartels.

According to intelligence sources cited by a subscriber-only security publication — not some fringe outlet, but one with a track record of accurate insider reporting — U.S. Special Operations Forces are operating on the ground in Baja California, Mexico, conducting intelligence-gathering missions and possibly direct-action raids against cartel targets.

Now, before we go any further, let’s be clear: Washington will never officially confirm this. If it’s happening, it’s deeply classified and deniable. But the evidence is mounting that something significant is underway.

 

What “Special Operations” Really Means

When people hear “Special Forces,” they think of one big secret army. In reality, America’s elite units operate on a tiered hierarchy.

  • Tier One unitsDelta Force and SEAL Team 6 — answer almost directly to the President through the Joint Special Operations Command. These are the surgical instruments of U.S. foreign policy.

  • Supporting them are the Army Rangers (the “kickoff team” for special operations), Green Berets (trainers and force multipliers), Task Force 160th helicopter pilots (the best on Earth), and specialized Air Force pararescueand Marine Raider units.

Only for Supporters
To read the rest of this article and access other paid content, you must be a supporter
Read full Article
post photo preview
Crossing the Next Red Line: Tomahawks, Tariffs, and Trump’s High-Stakes Ukraine Dilemma

What’s happening right now could represent a technological red line in the war—and it’s one that could redefine the conflict entirely.

President Trump is weighing whether to approve the transfer of American Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. If that happens, it will mark one of the most dramatic shifts in U.S. military support since this war began.

Moscow is furious, calling it a “serious escalation.” Kyiv says it’s “essential for survival.”
Frankly, that’s an understatement.

 

The Drone War That Changed Everything

Ukraine’s transformation over the last few years has been astonishing. Their military has evolved from a ragtag defense force into one of the most agile, creative, and tech-savvy fighting organizations in the world.

You’ve probably seen the footage—Ukrainian drones hunting Russian armor, tanks, and troop columns. They’re using tens of thousands of small suicide drones to devastate Russian advances. Just this month, Russia tried two large armored assaults. Both were completely wiped out by swarms of drones.

That’s the new reality of warfare—cheap, precise, and relentless.

Only for Supporters
To read the rest of this article and access other paid content, you must be a supporter
Read full Article
post photo preview
How Hope for Ukraine Is Changing Lives!

In the midst of war and hardship, Hope for Ukraine is boots-on-the-ground bringing light where there’s darkness. Founded in 2016, this U.S. nonprofit delivers food, shelter, medical aid, and even solar power to families caught in the conflict. They’ve already provided more than 93 million meals and partner with over a hundred local teams to reach people where help is needed most. They put 90% of every dollar straight into saving lives and rebuilding hope. Learn more or get involved at https://hfu.org/

Only for Supporters
To read the rest of this article and access other paid content, you must be a supporter
Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals