Keller @ Large: Our Fight Against ISIS Isn't Working

BOSTON (CBS) - "The thoughts and the prayers of the American people are with the people of Belgium," said President Obama Tuesday in his remarkably brief and desultory remarks on the latest Daesh (a.k.a. ISIS) outrage in Brussels.

"We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world," he said.

Maybe we can, but at this rate, we certainly won't defeat them.

Consider the congressional testimony a couple of weeks ago of Gen. Joseph Votel, the man chosen by the president to oversee our war with Daesh.

"I do have concerns about our broader strategy against [them], about how we are applying our resources, about how we are focusing our authorities, about how we are leveraging all of the required instruments of government — our own and our partners — in going after [them]."

Gen. Votel told the legislators he wants to try again to convert anti-Daesh Syrian rebels into a fighting force after the $500 million we spent on an effort to do that yielded only – are you ready? – five fighters.

Math is not my strong suit, but I peg that at roughly $100 million per soldier.

And our alleged Sunni Arab allies in this war with Daesh?

"We have to, in some cases, exercise tough love with our partners to ensure that they develop the capabilities," said Gen. Votel. "I look forward to trying to bring coherence to that."

Translation: we don't have the slightest idea what we're doing here. What we are doing isn't working.

Yes, we've gained back some of the turf Daesh had taken. But as we've seen they are gaining terroristic strength, not losing it.

No wonder it seemed that the president Tuesday would rather have been talking about almost anything else.

Listen to Jon's commentary: