When it comes to ISIS, the U.S. and Bashar al-Assad are fighting the same enemy. That’s a far cry from the position taken a year ago, after the chemical attack that took place there. The Obama administration came very close to launching air strikes on al-Assad. Today, with the U.S. launching air strikes on ISIS in Iraq and Assad launching them on ISIS in Syria, it’s difficult not to see American foreign policy in the region as being a bit schizophrenic and less than strategic.

In her daily press briefing State Department spokesman Marie Harf demonstrated this reality when asked about the shift. As much as she tried, Harf had tremendous difficulty adding nuance to that reality.

When asked if she thought Assad should stop attacking ISIS, Harf said she thought Assad should stop attacking any of his own people. When a reporter asked, “including ISIS?” all Harf could get out was, “It’s more complicated than that”.

The reality is that this time last year, the Obama administration was having difficulty articulating a position on Syria and it certainly had a difficult time justifying air strikes – especially since there was more evidence of rebel involvement in the chemical attack than Assad regime involvement as Shoebat.com reported.

This year, the administration is having even more difficulty. On top of that, an American journalist has just been beheaded by the same group Assad is fighting.

When asked by a reporter if Assad’s forces have more capability to take out ISIS than the perceived ‘moderate’ rebels the State Department insists exist, Harf shocking said she doesn’t know. She then awkwardly makes the claim that Assad is responsible for creating ISIS in Syria without explaining how.

The video below is queued up at the 27:38 mark (watch until about 30:00):