Obama honors 9/11 families, amid Islamic State plans

President Obama honored the victims of 9/11 Thursday as observers around the world pondered the impact of a revamped counterterrorism strategythat includes the prospect of military action in Syria.

"We carry on, because as Americans we do not give in to fear — ever," Obama said during a commemoration at the Pentagon 13 years after the attack there.

A series of 9/11 commemorations came a day after Obama said he is prepared to order airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Syria and to expand ongoing operations against the militant group in Iraq. The president's plan also calls for building up Iraqi and Syrian forces so that they can fight the Islamic State on the ground.

From the halls of Congress to foreign ministries abroad, officials on Thursday posed a number of questions about Obama's new counterterrorism strategy.

Among them: The ability of Iraq and Syria fighters to defeat the Islamic State; the costs of the plan; the legal authority for planned operations; the roles of Iran, Russia, and Saudi Arabia; the true nature of the threat posed by the Islamic State; and the length of time it might take to defeat the insurgents.

Read the full article at USA TODAY.