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this is To the Point. Does ISIS want war with the West?

Hello again, I'm Armin Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

Authorities now agree that Friday's assault on Paris was directed by ISIS in Syria.

It's widely expected ISIS will strike again. It's not clear if a bold, new international offensive is underway, or if ISIS is a losing movement trying to make itself relevant to the rest of the world. The danger is real either way, but there's dispute about how to respond and how to prevent attacks in the future. The options include open warfare, invasive surveillance, and diplomacy by Western powers,

and, more importantly, Syria's neighbors in the Middle East.

Today's talking point, did the media ignore attacks on Beirut,

or did their audience just miss the story?

First, here's the news.

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Hello again, Warren Alney, back with To The Point. It was Frenchmen and Belgians that committed Friday's attacks in Paris, but intelligence agencies are convinced they were organized by ISIS in Syria.

Western powers are now trying to determine how to respond what ISIS wants and how to prevent attacks in the future. Today's talking point, there's been massive coverage of what happened

in Paris, but less attention to the suicide bombings in Beirut just one day before. Are the news media

to blame or their audiences? First, this news update. House Speaker

Paul Ryan has joined governors around the country who are warning that Syrian refugees may

pose a danger to the United States. Here's Speaker Ryan. It's important that we have a refugee

...