AP, I do not agree that this is Al Qaeda. However, it does loosely follow the Maoist doctrine that the next step is actual creation of a state. None-the-less, this is where they are at their weakest - having to control not only a war but also control a state. This is where they will fail, if they are given the time and space to fail.

If we give them credibility via airstrikes or drone attaches, they win, even if they do not control the ground. If they collapse under their own weight, then we win. It is that simple.