Danny Leffler, Task & Purpose: The US Has Nearly Defeated ISIS in Syria, But It May Be Stumbling Into A Bigger War With Russia And Iran
On Feb. 7, the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS unleashed a torrent of airstrikes and artillery fire in a far-flung area of eastern Syria. The barrage was successful, beating back hundreds of fighters attempting to overrun a position held by coalition forces and their local allies. The action might have gone largely unnoticed — the coalition has, after all, carried out nearly 15,000 airstrikes in Syria — but for one thing: These bombs didn’t fall on ISIS, they killed forces loyal to the Syrian government.
The incident, which came amid a Turkish offensive against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Syria’s north, is the latest troubling sign that the United States may soon find itself caught up in a conflict volatile enough to engulf an entire region. It also exposes a more disconcerting truth: Defeating ISIS militarily, long the main U.S. goal in Syria, is likely just the easiest part of a more protracted fight. Now that the group’s physical caliphate has effectively fallen, the conflict — and the U.S. role in Syria — is about to become a lot more complicated.
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WNU Editor: The Russians have no interest in starting a war against the U.S. .... and definitely not over Syria. The Iranians and the Syrian regime are a different story .... especially the Iranians. I have had the impression for a long time that the Iranians are itching for a fight, but for the moment they are poorly positioned to threaten the U.S. and its allies in Syria .... doubly so after last weeks massacre of Iranian-backed Syrian allies and Russian mercenaries in eastern Syria. Bottom line .... no big war .... at least for now.
