Bottom Line Up Front:

• The reported death of British foreign fighter Abu Abdullah al-Britanni by a U.S. airstrike in Syria highlights how the nationalities and borders that once limited military action are fading in light of the true borderless nature of the threat

• At the counter-terrorism level, nationalities matter less than professed terror affiliations, allowing the U.S. to kill a national of its closest ally in the expected course of ongoing military operations

• Just as the Islamic State benefits from its borderless call to action and inclusion, the nations fighting the terrorist group are increasingly tolerant of the targeting of citizens who have renounced the protection of citizenship.