
Headlines across major media outlets reported today that the Islamic State (IS) had threatened an “attack on Washington.” The reports referred to a video released today by IS, and have implied its threats as a revelation of coming attacks, further rattling the nerves of a public still in shock from the Paris attacks. While the video these articles refer to did issue a threat, it did so out of celebration for the Paris attacks, and it does not represent any concrete development in the ongoing threat from IS. That stated, these threats need to be placed in perspective—not blown out of proportion.