2016 was another year of conflicting narratives regarding the Islamic State (IS). On one end, the Obama administration continued to mischaracterize the threat, painting a picture of IS in retreat amid ongoing attacks from coalition and Iraqi forces. On the other end, there was reality, which spoke loudly to anyone willing to listen.

As news broke on 28 November of Somali-born refugee Abdul Razak Ali Artan's attack at Ohio State University, so followed the recurring narrative of the sad new normal. There was the attack method: in this case made with a knife and vehicle, two approaches instructed by the Islamic State (IS) in weeks prior via video and magazine guides disseminated on social media.

When observing Ahmad Khan Rahami’s history, the 28 year old’s bombings in New Jersey and New York seem like a fitting manifestation. There’s his long stay in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region, his history of violence, his reportedly intensified piety, and his father’s claim that he “told the F.B.I. to keep an eye on him.”

1)Drug-dealing #Copenhagen shooter Mesa Hodzic identified by #ISIS’ Amaq as ISIS “soldier” https://t.co/n03tOHNdZ2

— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) September 2, 2016

Aaron Driver, a 23 year-old Canadian who reportedly attempted to perform a suicide attack in the Ontario town of Strathroy before being killed by police officers on August 10, was a highly active member of the pro-Islamic State (IS) social media community.