It has apparently been concluded that Da’esh did, in fact, bring down the Russian passenger jet in Sinai, and they have claimed responsibility for the attacks in Paris.
Da’esh intends, therefore, to defend their territorial borders, not through conventional warfare (because they can’t), but through terrorist operations against any country that attacks them. This is an almost entirely new phenomenon. “Almost” because it does echo, to some extent, the tactics of the IRA .There is even some similarity to the strategy of the early Zionists.
It seems to me that this strategy might have worked in the past, but I do not think it will achieve now what they hope. I am assuming here; and it is an open debate; that Da’esh actually hopes for what they claim to hope for, and that their actions are not part of a conspiracy of Western intelligence. In my view, regardless of whether they are a genuine group or not, the strategy they are following does, ultimately, serve Western interests. Only Allah Knows if this is deliberate or inadvertent.
The truth is probably not clear cut, as there is certainly no doubt that, even if they are a genuine group, they are thoroughly infiltrated. All we can do is analyze the strategy on its merits and its predictable outcomes; and in this case, I do not see their strategy being successful except in achieving Western goals in the region.