To the Point
A New Battle Front as President Obama Expands the War on Terror
As promised, President Obama has followed airstrikes in Iraq with even bigger airstrikes in Syria. 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?
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenAs 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)
In this episode
3 storiesUS and Allies Carry Out Airstrikes in Syria
The Obama Administration is back in the Middle East more deeply than ever. Months of airstrikes in Iraq were followed up overnight by more intense attacks in Syria—some of them backed by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Read the story7 minAirstrikes Just the Beginning of a Long Campaign
President Obama says the participation of five Arab states in last night’s attacks in Iraq “shows the world that this is not America’s fight alone.” The President did not ask Congress for authority to strike targets in Syria. Instead, he relied on intelligence claims that the US was facing an attack on the homeland.
Read the story36 minKansas Race Now One of the Hottest Contests in the Midterms
Democrats are struggling to hold their majority in the US Senate after the November elections. Now they’re looking for help in the most unlikely of places—the very red state of Kansas.
Read the story8 min
