Update - The War on ISIS

For well over a year now, President Barack Obama has asked the American public to take the long view on the war against the Islamic State. He’s argued that there is no quick and easy answer to a phenomena that draws in tens of thousands of recruits, holds sway over an area that includes a handful of large cities and a major oil producing region, and inspires bloody attacks in Europe and the United States. But that doesn’t mean the U.S.-led war is completely static. Over the last several weeks the White House has slowly increased the American involvement in the war, sending special ops forces into combat in Iraq and Syria, dropping more bombs on ISIS positions in November than at any time during the 16-month bombing campaign, and pressing allies to step up their involvement. Russian President Vladimir Putin and some western leaders have publicly hoped that the U.S. and its allies could find a way to partner with Russia to take on the Islamic State in Syria. But the Wall Street Journal reports that Russia's strategy of targeting civilians would make that a hard sell for many western political leaders. Russia, experts and officials the Journal spoke to said, indiscriminately drops unguided munitions on areas populated with civilians -- often in areas where the Islamic State doesn't operate -- in order to pressure Syrian rebel groups.