That’s interesting, and you’re probably right. First of all, while Obama may have had no plans, the Joint Chiefs would certainly have been looking at options. But it’s very possible that he just didn’t like their plans, basically because they conflicted with his objectives - which are essentially aimed at installing Islamist regimes throughout the ME .
Also, while it’s true that the beheadings and mass slaughters dont provide positive press for IS, they are certainly succeeding in instilling fear and making the Islamists look more powerful. So he may not really want to get rid of them altogether. But of course he can’t admit any of this.
Exactly - note his use of the word “contain”. The fact that Obama is OK with ISIS existing and just wants to contain them tells us all we need to know about Obama.