What Is President Obama's Strategy To Combat The Islamic State?

Defiant: President Obama has once again refused to state that the fight against terror in the Middle East was a religious war because the 'overwhelming' majority of Muslims do not support that interpretation

Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times: Obama lacks strategy to stop Islamic State expansion

Syria airstrikes likely helping Bashar Assad stay in power, report said

WNU Editor: According to recent polls .... there is very little if any U.S. political or public support for a more active and robust U.S. military role in this conflict ... and I believe it is in this context that White House policy is being formulated. As to what is that policy .... I believe that the Obama administration's top priority is (and always has been) to minimize the involvement of U.S. ground troops in the conflict, and to focus instead on providing air support and the necessary intelligence coupled with military supplies. Will such a policy work .... on that issue I have my doubts. The Middle East has always been deeply divided along sectarian and political divisions, but the rise of the Islamic State has only made these divisions deeper, and absent a more robust U.S. leadership role .... backed by U.S. combat troops on the ground .... I just do not see any hope of any stability returning to the region in the next few years. There is also a part of me that believes that the White House is just trying its best to hold back the rise of the Islamic State .... at least for the remainder of President Obama's term .... and to then kick this ongoing and long term crisis to the next administration.

Update: The White House's reluctance to say that we are at war against radical Islam should also change .... Obama once again refuses to call battle with terrorists a war against radical Islam (Daily Mail). We are at war with an organization that justifies its existence based on its interpretation of a specific religion .... and it is in this context that we must address our war against them .... primarily focusing on why their interpretation of Islam is out of date and doomed to failure. But for reasons that I find hard to understand .... President Obama has chosen to not adopt such a policy, and to ignore persistent calls from Middle Eastern leaders like Egyptian President Sisi who believes that we are at war with radical Islamist militants.