The operation would tighten the noose around Islamic State’s Iraq stronghold but could inflame sectarian tension in the mainly Sunni region.

What is ISIS saying? The first element to understand the political and social strategy of ISIS is getting to know what topics the terrorists are using to seduce their audiences.

Because I spent most of my career at American Airlines, my antenna is always up when it comes to safety and security -- and it's even higher after marking the 15-year anniversary of the 9/11 tragedies. In the years since, Americans have worked hard -- in government, the private sector and elsewhere -- to make our country safer.

American foreign policymakers have known all along that ousting President Bashar al-Assad will not magically end the civil, ethnic, and sectarian wars that are now raging in what's left of Syria. But that fact hasn't stopped them from trying.