Moderate Syrian Rebels Are Not Impressed With U.S. Talk On Launching Airstrikes Against The Islamic State

Syrian Rebels to Obama: Airstrikes Will Never Stop ISIS -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast

The Free Syrian Army is not impressed with President Obama’s new threat to attack ISIS inside Syria. That’s like ‘tickling’ the terror group, the FSA says—and is too little, too late.

U.S. airstrikes against ISIS, even if they extend into Syria as several Obama administration officials are signaling, don’t have a chance of destroying the terror group, moderate political and rebel leaders inside the country are cautioning. They have told The Daily Beast that air strikes will only make things worse unless there’s a coordinated plan to defeat ISIS.

For the Free Syrian Army, the Obama administration’s recent bluster about possibly using U.S. military force to strike ISIS inside Syria is too little, too late. On the one hand, moderate rebels say they can’t prepare for U.S. military intervention in Syria because they don’t have confidence President Obama will make good on his threat. On the other hand, if Obama does expand the U.S. air war against ISIS into Syria without a real plan to combat it on the ground, the American intervention will do more harm than good.

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My Comment: Syria's "moderate rebels" .... what few that are left .... are probably right when they say that U.S. airstrikes will have a minimal impact on ISIS militants in Syria. What is necessary is a coordinated strategy .... as is the case with U.S. forces and Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. But .... unfortunately .... I just do not see the White House or the West following through with such a strategy and policy.

Update #1: U.S. strikes in Syria against Islamic State would be hindered by intelligence gaps -- Washington post
Update #2: Hit ISIS targets in Syria? Not so fast -- Mary Grace Lucas, CNN