WASHINGTON, DC: At the center of President Obama’s strategy for dealing with the Islamic State is an empty space. It’s supposed to be filled by a hypothetical “Sunni ground force,” but after more than a year of effort, it’s still not there. Unless this gap is filled, Obama’s plan won’t work.

Otherwise, Obama made a reasonable case in his speech to the nation Sunday night. He’s right to argue for patience and persistence in fighting the Muslim terrorists, rather than “tough talk.” He’s correct that the United States shouldn’t feed the jihadists’ fantasies with “a long and costly ground war.” And he’s especially right that we’ll be safer at home and abroad if most Muslims are allies against the extremists.

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