Reuel Marc Gerecht has written a long, thoughtful article for The Weekly Standard on the current state of, and prognosis for, the Middle East. He isn't optimistic, nor does the region often reward optimism.
Gerecht makes a real effort to get inside the heads of young Sunni Arabs who are flocking to the Islamic State. You won't like what he finds there. He describes it as historical reenactment, more realistic than our Civil War buffs who wear the old uniforms and fire blanks with the old muskets. Jihadis use real bullets and cut off real heads, much more satisfying to basic bloodlust.
He sees no force in the region capable of overcoming the new caliphate, and understands our President has no stomach for the fighting necessary to dislodge it. Gerecht's best guess: IS will be with us for the foreseeable future.
