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[/audioplayer]The principal strategic objective in the war on terror has been a failure. Ever since 9/11, the aim has been to deny terrorists sanctuary. That, after all, is why the United States and Britain went into Afghanistan — troops were sent in only after the Taliban refused to hand over the al-Qaeda leadership and shut down the terrorist training camps. But now, a large terrorist enclave exists in the very heart of the Middle East.
President Obama’s reaction to this massive strategic failure has been lack-lustre. His main concern is to stress that, while air strikes will continue, US ground troops will not be deployed to defeat Islamic State in either Syria or Iraq. Britain’s response is even feebler; to bomb Isis but only on the Iraqi side of the border. The result is that the RAF cannot hit the city from which last week’s Paris attacks appear to have been planned.
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