White House Admitting That Their Strategy To Combat The Islamic State Is Failing

Sources: Obama Seeks New Syria Strategy Review To Deal With ISIS, al-Assad -- CNN

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama has asked his national security team for another review of the U.S. policy toward Syria after realizing that ISIS may not be defeated without a political transition in Syria and the removal of President Bashar al-Assad, senior U.S. officials and diplomats tell CNN.

The review is a tacit admission that the initial strategy of trying to confront ISIS first in Iraq and then take the group's fighters on in Syria, without also focusing on the removal of al-Assad, was a miscalculation.

In just the past week, the White House has convened four meetings of the President's national security team, one of which was chaired by Obama and others that were attended by principals like the secretary of state. These meetings, in the words of one senior official, were "driven to a large degree how our Syria strategy fits into our ISIS strategy."

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Update #1: Obama’s Syria reset: Officials tell CNN White House wants new strategy -- Washington Times
Update #2: Report: US Taking New Look at Ousting Syria's Assad -- Newsmax

My Comment: Any strategy to oust Assad is going to result in blow-back from Iran, Russia, Hezbollah, and from many Syrians themselves. I do understand that this is a conflict that the U.S. has no good options .... but it appears that the White House has made the decision to escalate U.S. involvement to now include funding and supporting the overthrow of Assad. On a side note .... I am usually in disagreement with him .... but Senator McCain is probably right on this point .... McCain says Obama’s ISIS strategy reminds him of Vietnam (The Hill).