A basic rule of war is not to permit one’s enemy safe harbor in which to retreat, regroup, resupply, and plan new attacks. That was our main handicap in the Vietnam War – the U.S. never allowed itself to take out Ho Chi Minh’s safe havens and Chinese supply lines.  Our complete victory at the end of World War II was never handicapped that way, and in the upshot, Germany and Japan are non-aggressive and prosperous countries today.

Anthony Codevilla, the well-known military strategist, has just pointed out that the Islamic State has two crucial allies who constantly evade retaliation.  The tiny Gulf regime of Qatar provides money and arms to IS, and Turkey runs protected supply lines to a fast-expanding Islamofascist empire.

Until a few months ago, the Obama administration boasted that Recep Erdoğan, the Islamist ruler of Turkey, was “Obama’s best friend in the Middle East.”  Erdoğan is…