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It’s clear that national security is again seen as a major issue in the United States and ISIS is now seen as the most dangerous threat on the horizon — underscored in the latest Gallup Poll:

Despite the intensifying fighting between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists before the cease-fire agreement Thursday, Americans place the conflict low on the list of critical threats to U.S. interests in the next decade. Islamic extremists, commonly known as the Islamic State or ISIS, along with international terrorism in general, loom much larger in Americans’ minds as a critical threat.

Everyday there’s a new shocking headline about ISIS that runs counter to that old cliche phrase “civilized world.” A Jordanian prisoner in a cage burned to death? We then see a story about a bunch of prisoners in cages reportedly to be burned to death. Beheadings. Crucifying people. And now a story that ISIS feels cigarette smoking is “slow suicide” and violates the holy book — so they beheaded a cigarette smoker.

More:

The Islamic State has continually been a focal point on the world stage over the past several months as it has brutally executed hostages — including several Americans, leading 84% of their fellow citizens to rank the terrorist group as a critical threat. Americans place the threat from international terrorism in general at the same level.

Only two other issues are considered critical threats by a majority of Americans. Although the U.S. has been conducting talks with Iran to reduce or eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities, 77% of Americans still view the development of nuclear weapons by Iran as a critical threat. Sixty-four percent view North Korea as a critical threat.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, when placed in the context of other global challenges, is not as much of a critical concern to Americans. Yet the situation in Ukraine has severely tested U.S.-Russian relations — to the point that one year ago, half of Americans said they thought the U.S. and Russia were heading back to a Cold War. The U.S. has backed Ukraine’s new government, while Russia has advocated for the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

And Americans have a reason to be concerned.

The 21st century is clearly going to be an era when the main threat will be terrorism — and terrorists are increasingly going after “soft targets such as gatherings, malls, offices, synagogues, schools, etc. Potentially it’s an era of not just future 9/11s but mini 9/11s — as we’re seeing all over the world.

This will clearly help shape the debate in 2016: candidates have to be ready not just to offer now tiresome boiler-plate condemnations terrorism, but offer some specifics about how they intend to fight a foe with bloody tentacles now spreading out further into the world.

graphic via shutterstock.com

JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief

Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.

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