Are airstrikes against ISIL meant to help defeat the group? A reporter asked White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest that question, and he got a pathetic answer. “First and foremost … the president’s strategy is to protect Americans who are in harm’s way. … Principally, the president’s focused on protecting the national security of the United States of America, and in this case, protecting American personnel that are harm’s way.” The question was rephrased, “If ISIS is a cancer [as Obama called it Tuesday], does he want to defeat it?” The answer: “Well … of course. But the goal of this action, and what the president is focused on, as we pursue this strategy … is safeguarding the American people and putting the foreign policy interests of the United State first and foremost.” In other words, no, the president isn’t particularly interested in defeating ISIL.