Brent Scowcroft Center Senior Adviser Harlan Ullman writes for UPI on why President Obama needs a sense of history when thinking about his strategy for combating the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham: 

In last week’s televised address, President Barack Obama outlined his four-part plan for “degrading and destroying ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy” that will demand many partners inside and out of the region.First is continuing systematic (air) strikes in Iraq and probably Syria against the Islamic State. Second is supporting local (i.e. Iraqi and Kurdish) and regional (i.e. Free Syrian Army) ground forces to roll IS back. Third is applying U.S. counter-terrorism capacities to prevent further IS attacks. And fourth is providing humanitarian assistance to people displaced by this conflict. While “winning” and “destroying” IS remain undefined, this conflict will not be over anytime soon.

Read the full article here.