In a move that brings the US one step closer to launching air strikes on the Islamic State (IS, formally ISIS) inside Syrian territory, US President Barak Obama authorized the Pentagon to begin conducting reconnaissance flights over Syria Monday. Officials said the recon missions were needed in any case and did not necessarily signal a shift in policy, but White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House is prepared to take military action to protect US citizens “without regard to international boundaries.” Meanwhile, Syria’s Assad regime has warned that US airstrikes in Syria, even if they targeted IS terrorists in territory not under the regime’s control, would be considered an “aggression” unless it is coordinated with the Regime. Meanwhile, Iran dramatically abandoned all pretense on Monday by sending tanks into northern Iraq to battle IS forces there. Read More
