A hollow laugh might be permitted at the alliance now announced as the result of Secretary of State John Kerry's latest journey through the Middle East, this time to construct an alliance to counterattack the latest Arab menace to America, Islamic State (also known as ISIS).
President Barack Obama and Kerry are assembling a coalition "of the willing" to deal with the self-proclaimed new Islamic Caliphate and its singularly bloodthirsty leader, again self-appointed, the Emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Kerry came to Paris following his journey with a list of nations ready to contribute "as appropriate."