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With attention focused on the midterm elections in November, and the continued Ebola crisis, only scant attention has been on military operations against ISIS and other foreign policy challenges.

The vast array of media coverage has focused like a laser beam on the midterm elections and the Ebola crisis, but little coverage has focused on foreign policy, or more importantly military strategy against ISIS.

This changed only recently with the terror attacks in Canada, especially the deadly terrorist shooting in Ottawa, Canada on Wednesday.

Whatever happened to the crisis situation in Ukraine, which culminated with the downing of a Malaysian Airline over the Ukraine in July by Russian separatists?  Russia still controls the Crimea, which President Obama stated would not stand. Challenges abound for the U.S. in Asia, Africa and other parts of the world, which will require U.S. leadership.

After the midterm election, the president will have to adjust his strategy against ISIS. Almost all military strategists have stated since the beginning that airstrikes alone will not defeat ISIS, there needs to be a viable force multipliers on the ground.

The president and his administration have repeatedly stated there will be no U.S. boots on the ground even Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey has stated this, but added that this month U.S. troops will most likely play an expanded role in advising and assisting Iraqi forces.

Will the president change his calculation if the Syrian town of Kobane falls to ISIS fighters?

No matter what happens in November, whether the Republicans gain control of the Senate, or even if they come close, President Obama will emerge in a far more weakened position.  Currently the president is having a difficult time gaining support from members of Congress for his ISIS strategy. Republicans and Democrats don’t want to commit themselves to voting for military action as both sides remember the 2002 Iraq war authorization all to well. This vote essentially handicapped Hillary Clinton and Joseph Biden in their campaign for the White House in 2008, and propelled Barack Obama to the White House. He never had to cast a vote, being in the Illinois State Legislature at the time.

Currently the president’s handling of numerous foreign policy crises have placed the U.S. on the defensive internationally and will only be exacerbated as the U.S. will be preparing for the 2016 presidential election.

The remaining two years will provide challenges for the president. Candidates from both parties will be running for president and will begin to chart a different path.  This will be particularly true of any potential Democratic candidate who will need to carefully articulate a strategy without being too critical of a Democratic incumbent.

A few months ago foreign policy was not a top concern of most Americans but now it is. Whoever the candidate for president may be, will face enormous challenges in foreign policy and will have to articulate a coherent strategy.

The next two years will challenge President Obama’s Middle Eastern strategy. ISIS will have to be dealt with and cannot be left to the next administration.  The president will also have to deal with the withdrawal of all U.S. combat forces from Afghanistan and its potential aftermath.

How will the president deal with China asserting itself in the South China Sea as well as other challenges in Asia?

Historically a president who enters his final two years in office concentrates his attention on, and begins formulating his international legacy, without worrying about domestic considerations; notably the U.S. economy.

Presently, the U.S. economy is still struggling; even after economists have stated the recession ended almost six years ago.  This added challenge has the president focusing on both domestic and international crises when his attention is needed abroad.

The next two years will be a difficult period for the United States.