When President Obama announced the beginning of U.S. and coalition operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, he categorically ruled out placing U.S. combat troops on the ground. His plan eventually involves training, arming, and sending local militias to serve as a proxy for U.S. infantry. In the meantime, airstrikes are supposed to “degrade” the Islamic State and the threat it poses.

Though it would be premature to declare the air campaign against the Islamic State a failure, we can at least say that so far, this isn’t working.