SOBERING – AT 9:07 A.M. ET:   Despite the glorified town councilman in the White House, we're beginning to get a very sobering picture of ISIS, and its gains.  But most Democrats are much more upset over the fact that Speaker Boehner invited the prime minister of Israel to address Congress without getting the pastoral blessing of Hussein Obama.  From the Washington Times:

The Obama administration’s top counterterrorism official said Wednesday that the number of foreign fighters traveling from the U.S. and other nations to join the Islamic State extremist movement in Syria and Iraq continues to grow — with some 20,000 fighters having flooded in from more than 90 countries in recent years.

Despite months of U.S. airstrikes against the group also known as ISIS and ISIL, National Counterterrorism Director Nicholas Rasmussen told a House hearing that it is “clear that the number of those seeking to go to Iraq and Syria is going up.”

“We assess that at least 3,400 of these fighters are from Western countries, and that number includes also over 150 U.S. persons who’ve either traveled to the conflict zone or attempted to do so,” Mr. Rasmussen said. “They come from various backgrounds, which highlights the need for comprehensive messaging strategies and early engagement with a variety of communities in order to dissuade vulnerable individuals from trying to travel to conflict zones.”

He made the remarks during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing.

Committee Chairman Michael T. McCaul, Texas Republican, said the Islamic State “now controls territory the size of Belgium, governs millions of people, draws on billions of dollars in revenue and commands tens of thousands of foot soldiers.”

“This evolving Islamic terrorist landscape has given rise to the dual threats of foreign fighters returning to the United States and homegrown terrorism,” Mr. McCaul said.

“Extremists do not need to travel overseas in order to become a threat to our homeland,” he said. “Through Hollywood-like propaganda videos and social media and through that means, Islamist terror groups are inciting their followers and potential recruits to wage war at home. Both ISIS, and Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have called for Westerners, including Americans, to wage individual jihad in their home countries, and it’s working.”

“ISIS social media also gives step-by-step instructions on how to get to the fight and how to return,” Mr. McCaul said.

COMMENT:  It was only months ago that Field Marshal Obama, for whom I have growing and utter contempt, was calling ISIS the junior varsity.  Kind of like the "experts" from pre-World War II days who laughed at the idea that those little people in Japan, with poor eyesight, were threats to the United States.  Why, we have a mighty base at Pearl Harbor!

Pathetic.

February 12,  2015