Globe Trot: Who is Khorasan?

New terror threat. As U.S. officials began airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria this week, they also announced another target: Khorasan—a secretive terror cell apparently planning an imminent attack on American or European soil.

The news came as a bombshell of its own, as the president had never mentioned Khorasan publicly until Tuesday. ABC News’ Jonathan Karl underscored the significance: “It’s quite extraordinary to see military action against a group the White House has never talked about.”

U.S. officials have worried about plots from Khorasan’s seasoned network of al-Qaeda veterans for at least two years. It appears the plots included attacks using airliners. The group’s leader—Muhsin al-Fadhli—was part of Osama bin Laden’s inner circle, and reportedly one of a handful of militants who knew about the 9/11 attacks in advance.

Officials couldn’t yet confirm airstrikes killed al-Fadhli, but the Pentagon’s spokesman told Good Morning America: “We believe the individuals planning and plotting [the terror attacks] were eliminated.”

WHAT NEXT? The strikes against Khorasan were separate from the barrage of bombs against Islamic State militants in Syria that continued this morning. Officials said they targeted infrastructure and equipment used by ISIS.

Some experts still question whether airstrikes against the Islamic State will be sufficient without ground troops. Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute says without on-the-ground follow-up, the strikes could benefit other extremist groups or Syrian President Bashar al-Assad—a regime the U.S. opposes.

DEPARTMENT OF IRONY: Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the airstrikes in Syria, saying U.S. officials should gain permission from the Syrian government first. It doesn’t appear Putin asked for permission before Russian-backed militants invaded Ukraine.

SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT: A Sept. 11 New York Times story attempted to assure readers that Obama’s strategy to strike Middle Eastern targets differed from the bombings ordered by President George W. Bush at the beginning of the Iraq War, since Obama was building a coalition of other nations.

In a correction a few days later, the Gray Lady admitted: “The approach Mr. Obama is taking is similar to the one Mr. Bush took; it is not the case that, ‘Unlike Mr. Bush in the Iraq war, Mr. Obama has sought to surround the United States with partners.’”