Still not a serious effort

Evidence continues to mount that the so-called "air war" against ISIS is little but a public relations ploy to ease western political constituencies.

The Washington Free Beacon notes:

U.S. military pilots who have returned from the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq are confirming that they were blocked from dropping 75 percent of their ordnance on terror targets because they could not get clearance to launch a strike, according to a leading member of Congress.

Even the French claim to have delivered 20 bombs on-target one day last week is small potatoes.

On yesterday's Don and Doug radio program, Don Dickinson recounted calling in air strikes by American F-4s in support of ground troops in Vietnam in 1972. According to Don, his calls for air support would have easily resulted in something exceeding a puny 20 bomb strike.

Typical airstrike "back in the day" might have delivered 32 or more bombs, according to Don. And the number of bombs dropped would have compounded with multiple airstrikes during the course of a day.

Back to the phoniness and ineffectiveness of the present air campaign against ISIS, you may have also seen this: Prior to an air raid on an ISIS fuel depot, the U.S. gave 45 minutes advance warning, allowing truck drivers (and perhaps some trucks) to flee prior to any bombs being dropped.

While the Obama administration deems ISIS truck drivers to be "non-combatants," Don asserts this is a direct contradiction to the way the role would be interpreted in most theaters of operation. Anyone who knowingly supplies direct aid or logistical support to an enemy should be considered a fair target.