On using U.S. combat troops? In a detailed interview with The Atlantic, Obama made his view clear. “If they are not willing to fight for the security of their country, we cannot do that for them,” he said, but added that he’s committed to training Iraqis over a “multi-year” period.

How many, exactly, is “multi?” State Department official and ISIS expert Brett McGurk laid that out on NPR: “It’s a three-year campaign to degrade the organization.”

Three years marked from mid-2014, of course, falls after Jan. 20, 2017, the date Obama leaves office.

Translation: The strategy is to avoid sending ground troops for the remainder of his term. So stop asking.