Forget the past tense, what are we thinking as we still fund ISIS and thousands of Chenchens fighting for ISIS in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
You'll have to as Obama and Clapper what the rational for that is. I can only give my opinion which is that the fastest way to build a base of radical Muzzie terrorists within the US is to train them in a real war in the Middle East then bring them to the US to train others.
Of course, opinions are like an anal oriface, everyone has one.