What would you have had a President Romney or President McCain do?
Fight the war like it was a war
War uses up a lot of material. Where is this material coming from. Cut off supplies and you starve an Army (it was the strategy of the American Civil war, which explains Sherman’s march to the sea. Yes I know this is simplified but you get the idea)
Killing people and destroying buildings does not win wars.
You need to reduce the enemy’s capability to fight. (Which was the goal of our bombing campaigns in WWII). In the middle east where for the most part is open flat land,how does anything move without our satellites seeing it.
Next, if a foreign power is supplying the enemy, you go after them as they are engaging war with you.
The point is, every since WWII our politicians have been playing at war costing us hundreds of thousands in killed and wounded and billions of dollars with no real results.
If you are not prepared to go total war, then don’t go.
As for terrorist you first recognize where the real terrorist are coming from, then you cut off their support, and then you make it so painful that they don’t commit acts of terrorism.
If the Muslims were so quick to die for their cause, why haven’t the Jews been eliminated in Israel? Muslims outnumber the Jews and millions of suicide bombers could wipe out every Jew, yet Israel survives? How? Perhaps not all Muslims are ready to die.
I can't see any benefit for the U.S. in going to war in Syria.