• After the truck rampage in France, the U.S. and Russia agreed to cooperate militarily to end the Syrian civil war. We'll see if that is more than a diplomatic feint by Russian President Vladimir Putin: Is he serious about ramping up the fight against Islamic State? Putin has reason to help crush Islamic State after terrorists bombed a Russian jetliner out of the sky last year. He knows, too, that the terrorist suicide bombers who attacked the Istanbul airport in June reportedly came from Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Close enough to home, Vlad? The U.S. coalition has a better shot at prevailing over Islamic State with Russian help, or at least without Russian interference.