updated 9:46 AM EDT, Thu September 11, 2014

(CNN) — When President Obama announced his plan Wednesday night to launch air strikes in Syria against ISIS, he opened a new chapter in the American war on Islamic extremism. Click here to get all the facts on President Obama’s speech to the nation on his new strategy to combat ISIS with air strikes in Iraq and Syria. Or click here to read the transcript.

But below are some key themes identified by CNN’s military and political commentators and reporters:

It is a stunning turnaround from his previous policy – This new strategy represents a turnaround by President Obama on so many levels; there are things the President refused to do that that he is now doing. He had said he would not arm Syrian rebels. He had said there would be no air strikes in Syria. Now the President says the U.S. and it’s coalition will hunt down ISIS wherever it may be. But it is important to note that the President never used the word ‘war.’

Read further