Tash:
Totally agree Smudge. I think we're all sick of throwing lives away on piecemeal operations. Time for the governments of the world to commit to sorting this out once and for all.
Maybe the way to do it is either, let each side slaughter the other and end responding to the 'something must be done' lobby, or warn the big players behind the scene in the Arab and Persian world, either stop your support and funding or we turn your countries into glass.
We do not want anymore young people being repatriated through Brize Norton or worse on to be captured and tortured and beheaded on live television.
Time to stay out and let the locals sort it out themselves.