f Joe Biden is serious about chasing the IS “to the gates of hell” — a worthy goal — and Barack Obama is serious about committing to years of combat to defeat IS and its derivatives, someone should tell both these well-meaning men that this is a good moment to pause this rerun of the old GWOT film and ask a simple question: Can we assess with some honesty the balance sheet of the last three decades or so during which the United States and allies relentlessly have militarily attacked Al-Qaeda and sister organizations around the world, only to reach this point where this brand of extremism Islamist militancy and terror is spreading around the world almost as fast as American fast food chains?