Gen. Martin Dempsey, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Islamic State cannot be defeated without striking its base in Syria. Secretary of Defense Hagel warned that the IS poses “an imminent threat” to US interests everywhere, not just in Iraq, and said it is “as sophisticated and well-funded as any group” the US has seen. The US continued to carry out airstrikes against the IS in Iraq. Hagel did not foreclose the possibility of airstrikes in Syria. The Government Accountability Office concluded that the Defense Department broke the law by exchanging five Taliban commanders in Guantanamo Bay for Pfc. Bowie Bergdahl without notifying Congress in advance. The US posted new rewards for five Haqqani Network leaders, and added a Taliban hawala along with its owner and a Taliban commander to the US terrorist lists.
