Struggling to Gauge Threat, Even as U.S. Prepares to Act.

The article discusses U.S. intelligence services' assessment of any potential threat that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) extremist organization poses to the U.S., noting conclusions that ISIS poses no immediate threat. Topics addressed include U. S. president Barack Obama's military strategy of using airstrikes to combat ISIS, counterterrorism experts' concerns that talk of the threat of ISIS has been exaggerated, and the implications of a prolonged U.S. military campaign in the Middle East.