Hollande hopes to spur U.S. to do more against Islamic State

French President Francois Hollande hopes to spur Washington to greater action against Islamic State, but it is unclear to what extent he can overcome the White House’s reluctance to get sucked further into the Syria conflict. U.S. President Barack Obama welcomes Hollande to the White House on Tuesday in the shadow of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks claimed by the Islamic State militant group that killed 130 and demonstrated its ability and will to hit the Continent. Within days of the attacks, the United States announced it would share more threat intelligence and operational military information with France, a step which helped France strike Syrian targets in the days after the violence in Paris.

The attacks in Paris and the refugee crisis show that we don’t have time.

An unnamed French official, pressing the case for US help

French officials made clear they are not talking about putting Western combat troops on the ground, though they said the possibility of deploying French special operations forces had been discussed. Today, Mr Hollande hosted British Prime Minister David Cameron. Mr Cameron said Britain would do “all in our power” to help France “defeat this evil death cult”. He said French jets could use a British RAF base in Cyprus to launch strikes against IS in Syria, ahead of a vital vote by British MPs on whether to allow RAF jets to take direct action.

American power, in theory, would allow the United States to hit much harder.

Another French official