US and coalition forces carried out 22 airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria, all in Kobane except for one in Deir al Zour; today’s strikes were the most intense targeting yet by the coalition in Kobane. US forces also carried out one airstrike in Iraq against the group. President Obama met with coalition partners to discuss strategy against the Islamic State. The US and Russia agreed to begin sharing intelligence on the Islamic State. The Justice Department added 17 new charges against Ahmed Abu Khatallah, including that he led an Ansar al Sharia-linked militia, and that he conspired to attack the US mission in Benghazi and kill American citizens. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno warned that the 2012 plan to cut the active-duty force from 570,000 to 450,000 must be revised, as seven of the Army’s 10 divisions are currently deployed around the globe, and “military risk is increasing exponentially” due in part to “mistaken assumptions about the number, duration, location and size of future force conflicts, and the need to conduct post-stability operations.”
