ISIL beheaded a French hiker in the North African country of Algeria because France used its air force to strike ISIL positions in Syria. Kidnappings and beheadings are the greatest tool ISIL has in trying to alleviate the bombings against its “Caliphate.” In other words, beheadings are not ISIL’s side project, but its terrorism against the West. While ISIL’s message appears to be “convert or die,” James Foley was allegedly forced to convert to Islam before Jihad John beheaded him. It is not clear whether Foley was trying to escape with his life or ISIL didn’t believe him. Noah Rothman at Hot Air points out, “That ISIS’s own brutality toward Muslims, which is of a magnitude greater than that of bin Laden’s al-Qaeda, is not only apparently not alienating other Islamic radical groups but uniting them behind the Islamic State. That is truly troubling.” However, Osama bin Laden never claimed to be a religious leader, but Bakr Abu al-Baghdadi claims he is the successor to Muhammad. More…