As promised, President Obama has followed airstrikes in Iraq with even bigger airstrikes in Syria. He did not get permission from Congress, but claims authority because of an “imminent threat” against the US from an offshoot of al-Qaeda. Strikes against ISIS—the so-called Islamic State—were joined by five Arab countries, part of a coalition designed to show the US is not going alone. The amount of damage is still unclear… and so is the legality of the actions. Has the War on Terror become a permanent US policy? Has the stage been set for US combat forces to go back to the Middle East?
Plus, the election in Kansas heats up.
Banner Image: President Barack Obama receives a briefing from Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, Commander, U.S. Central Command, and his top commanders at U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., Sept. 17, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)