A new study from IHS Jane’s is cautioning that moves to undermine and ultimately oust the Assad government in Syria would greatly benefit ISIS, since a large portion of ISIS’ fighting in Syria is against the Syrian government and its allies.
Though Western officials have long downplayed the amount of fighting between ISIS and Assad, and Western-backed rebels have even claimed at time the two are in league with one another, Jane’s study showed that 42% of all ISIS fighting in Syria was against Assad-backing forces, with just 17% against the Kurdish YPG, and the rest against rival rebel factions, including the Turkish-backed rebels and al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front.
The US has been keen to oust Assad for years, with CIA officials arguing that the war against ISIS would be enhanced by imposing regime change first and hoping a more “stable” government assumes control. The Jane’s study seems to indicate that a shift in the US war to imposing regime change would free up a lot more ISIS forces, who have been fighting the Assad government, to recover lost ground.
Jane’s termed it an “inconvenient reality” that any US actions against the Assad government would necessarily benefit ISIS as well. The big question remains whether or not this will be sufficient to deter the US from carrying out more attacks against Assad, as the Trump Administration has been keen to threaten more action against them in recent weeks.
Thanks for pointing out the obvious Jane. But I guess this might be news among the “the government is always right” crowd.
Er, no.
The object of Washington’s policy is the overthrow of the Syrian government.
ISIL’s objective is the overthrow of the Apostate Syrian government and Apostate Syrian secular politicians and imposition of their version of Shara law.
But these are the string puppets. Chorus of “There are no strings to hold me up” from Pinnochio.
The evidence is ISIL are still on the payroll and have been used as an “Antigroup” for the llast two and a half years.
Inconvenient reality is a poor choice of words… helping ISIS is a feature and not a bug in the eyes of Trump and the Saudis.
While we read here about the fighting between Al Nusra Front and ISIS we should realize the history here first. America funded Al Nusra Front they were their go to so called Moderate Muslim Insurgents, of course Al Nusra Front was before that known as Al Qaeda in Iraq and their belief system is on that basis Waahibist, now ISIS came into being after a leadership split in Al Nusra Front with the ISIS leader taking the majority of those US trained insurgents they to are Waahibist noting that the Saudi Royal family are Waahibists as well, we should also remember from History that Al Qaeda was originally funded by the CIA through the Pakistani Secret services as were the Taliban, we at the time called them the Mujahideen! We have all of these Terrorists directly because of The US wish for regime change in the Middle East Afghanistan Iraq Libya Egypt the lot of them. How well has that gone! America has systematically funded religious extremists to overthrow secular governments using Religious zealots who wish to introduce a religious Government that does not in anyway allow democracy, and all in the name of wait for it…………..to free the citizens from oppression! Just think back Denim Jeans Long flowing hair sun glasses, Little Girls going to school to be Doctors, what did they get after US funded Regime Change ………Burkas and dead little girls who wanted to go to school! Now is Syria any Different? ………ISIS or Al Nusra take over an area first thing they do is Blow up Christian Churches and they were 2000 year old churches literally around just after Jesus died, been in Muslim hands for 1400 odd years every other Muslim leader didn’t destroy them! Remember this IS being done by the group the US backed for regime change! ISIS have gone a step further now they kidnap little girls and turn them into sex slaves! Again no ISIS without the US interference! Assad gone and we will see Isis take control and there will be no ability ever to get them out of power, look at the years in Afghanistan and Iraq as Proof positive. Assad is in fact the lesser evil here! Sad but true. has anyone ever realised that there were not millions of refugees leaving Syria under Assad, it was only after the US funded Al Nusra front that the refugee problem started a trickle but ISIS and it becaame a torrent, No US intervention no Refugee problem! Then there is that really sticky problem whilst Assad and Israel were not friends far from it there was NO chance Syria were going to Attack Israel! Now remember exactly who ISIS are, they are Ultra Religious Zealots who believe in Jihad, Holy War and to die for Allah, now we have it there the Golan Heights and what is just 60 miles South of the Golan Heights, JERUSALEM do you think that the Ultra religious zealots will not decide to attack to take Jerusalem, now just so we are clear here what is 30 miles from the Golan Heights on the best route to Jerusalem from the Golan Heights…………the Plains of Armageddon! remember that the Ultra Zealous Waahibists believe in their own version of the end times and they include the taking of
Jerusalem back!
You comment is very difficult to read because it all runs together.
Try using paragraph breaks
What little I did read is good but I kept getting lost in it
If you want to stop “ISIS”, you’ll need regime change in Saudi Arabia and Israel. Still want to stop “ISIS” ? lol.
Of course it would- with Assad out of the way, Iran’s influence in that country disappears (and so too would Russia’s port privileges). And who does that benefit? Israel and the US. What does it do for the region as a whole? More unrest, more instability.
That it would actually benefit the US is highly debatable.