War on terror

Why the US sent nuclear-capable B-2s from Missouri to strike ISIS

When U.S. commanders wanted to destroy remnants of the Islamic State who had regrouped in camps in Libya, they pulled out one of the biggest arrows in the U.S. quiver: the B-2 stealth bomber.

A pair of the radar-evading batwing bombers flew a 30-plus-hour round trip mission from their base in Missouri to deliver more than 100 bombs to wipe out the camps Wednesday night, killing an estimated 80 Islamic State terrorists.

The decision to rely on long-range nuclear-capable bombers based in America's heartland to carry out a strike halfway around the globe in North Africa prompted some observers to wonder if the U.S. was trying to send a wider message about the long reach of U.S. military.