al Qaeda Prepares to Seize Another Border Crossing

Jolly:

Syrian activists say al-Qaida fighters are amassing in a Syrian border town in what appears to be an attempt to seize a nearby Turkish border crossing from Syrian rebels.

Assad Kanjo said Monday that Nusra Front fighters have been gathering in the town of Sarmada in the northern Idlib province, some 4 miles (6 kilometers) from Bab al-Hawa, an important Turkish border crossing.

If Nusra Front fighters seize the crossing, it would block an important supply line for Western-backed rebels.

Fear not, as Professor Ditherton Wiggleroom leaps into inaction:

If you want a laugh, go to the Central Command website and click on their press releases. Every day there is a new dispatch about the anti-ISIS air campaign in Iraq and Syria known incongruously as Operation Inherent Resolve. The latest release is from October 28: “U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria Monday and today using attack and fighter aircraft to conduct four airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted nine airstrikes in Iraq Monday and today using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL terrorists.” What’s so funny here? The fact that Central Command is trumpeting a mere 13 airstrikes, which only highlights how anemic this whole air campaign remains.

Between October 7, 2001, and December 23, 2001—a period of seventy-five days—U.S. aircraft fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan flew 6,500 strike sorties and dropped 17,500 munitions. By contrast, between August 8, 2014, and October 23, 2014—a period of seventy-six days—the United States conducted only 632 airstrikes and dropped only 1,700 munitions in Iraq and Syria.

To be fair, the Iraqi Army of 1991 provided a much more target-rich environment than ISIL forces do today.

Wait?

What’s that?

The author, Max Boot, wasn’t comparing our anti-ISIL airstrikes in Iraq today with our anti-Iraqi airstrikes in Iraq of yesteryear? Rather, he was comparing our 6,500 sorties against the thinly-spread Taliban to our 632 sorties against the thinly-spread Caliphate?

Oh.

Well.

Never mind.