President Barack Obama is channeling George W. Bush in launching a new war in the Middle East. Why is Washington involved? Islamic State is evil, but the organization's raison d'etre is establishing a Mideastern caliphate or quasi-state — not terrorizing Americans.
In fact, Islamic State's grabbing territory provided the United States with a target for retaliation, something lacking with al-Qaida. The murders of Americans and Britons captured in the region were horrid but opportunistic. Morally abominable? Yes. Cause for war? No.
Washington has never had much success in fixing the Middle East. The U.S. has been bombing Iraq since 1991. Islami State would not exist if not for the 2003 U.S. invasion. Saddam Hussein is dead, as are over 200,000 Iraqi civilians.