Eric Schmitt, Michael R. Gordon, and Helene Cooper of the New York Times report that:
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The operation, which the president will outline in a speech on Wednesday, will unfold in three stages. First, the air campaign, already underway. Then:
And, finally, the “toughest and most politically controversial phase of the operation — destroying the terrorist army in its sanctuary inside Syria.
Which:
As with any large military undertaking, events and chance might make hash of the planning. Already, one large question appears:
But these Sunnis, with whom American forces accomplished the “Anbar Awakening,” may well feel they were abandoned by their allies and decline to enlist in another effort. As one of the Sunni leaders told the Times:
The plan does not include the deployment of American ground troops.
