UK Changes Its Mind on Iraq Intervention While Obama Points to Intelligence Flaws

• On Friday the UK’s House of Commons voted 524-43 in favor of joining a military coalition against ISIS. This includes authorizing strikes in Iraq, but explicitly excludes strikes in Syria which would have to be subject to a separate vote. On Saturday 2 Tornado GR4s proceeded [UK MOD] to fly over Iraq where they collected intelligence but didn’t find targets to strike. Less than 2 months ago Prime Minister David Cameron was ruling out military action. British Forces News video.

• At the 60 Minutes Sunday TV show President Obama admitted that the US government had underestimated ISIS. Or rather, “they” in the intelligence community did, to quote the President more accurately. Through 2013 the White House didn’t want to know, or help much as late as early 2014. The official narrative all along was that “Al Qaeda is on the run” despite ample evidence to the contrary, so finding someone else to blame for the current fallout is not entirely surprising.

• US Defense Secretary Hagel told reporters that the Pentagon is working with Congressional committees to increase the OCO budget (i.e. war spending) in order so sustain operations against ISIS, costed at $7M-$10M a day.

• The Guardian: Isis reconciles with al-Qaida group as Syria air strikes continue.