&gt; Their goal is to put the West into an unwinnable situation no matter what we do.<p>No, their goal is to place Muslims in a situation where the fear of hatred from the West against Muslims (which Daesh kindles by provocative attacks on the West designed to get the West to blame, and retaliate against, Muslims generally) and fear of the consequences of defying Daesh (which Daesh creates by violent attacks on those Muslims who defy them) leave Muslims to perceive accepting the dominion of Daesh as the least bad option open to them. That&#x27;s how the Caliphate is formed and grows.