Last week's attacks at Istanbul's main airport are the latest reminder that the United States should not downplay the Islamic State group's rudimentary — yet effective — tactics.
Since the wave of IS suicide bombings in May — killing 522 people inside Baghdad, and 148 people inside Syria — American officials have downplayed the strategy as defensive. Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy in the fight against IS, said the group "returned to suicide bombing" as the area under its control shrank. The American strategy of focusing primarily on the "big picture" recapture of territory seems to push the suicide bombings to the side. "It's their last card," stated an Iraqi spokesperson in response to the attacks.
The reality is just the opposite.