After announced by U.S. President Barack Obama strategy must change the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS, formerly ISIS) is now expected in Syria with U.S. air attacks. So far, the U.S. Air Force has the Sunni extremists bombed only in Iraq but in Syria left unmolested. In addition, the U.S. government wants to force as moderate rebels more than before upgrade and train for the fight against IS. As many partners from NATO and the Middle East to support the action. This involves According to experts, in the case of Syria only to fighting terrorism - and not a solution for the three and a half years of conflict.
Obama wants to push back the IS-impact, without too deeply entangled in the Syrian civil war, according to Julien Barnes-Dacey of the think tank European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). U.S. air strikes should help moderate the rebels though, to stand up to the far most superior IS organizations. Support for this rebel that would change the balance of power against both the IS and to the regime of Bashar al-Assad was, however, not planned. "There is no comprehensive strategy to help the rebels a decisive victory in Syria," said Barnes-Dacey in the DW-conversation. Unlike in Iraq, the United States wanted to stay at a distance as possible in Syria. Reason for this is that Obama is the fragmented and weakened opposition not zutraue a real victory.
Help for rebels as a gesture
The announced military aid is the Swedish Syria experts Aron Lund that inter alia a political gesture. With this support, the Obama seeks the consent of Congress, let him turn to the Americans and the insurgents. "This is to show that he not only bombed the page, but also against Assad is going on," Lund says the Obama speech. The President had stressed:. "In the fight against IS we can not rely on one-Assad regime that terrorized his people, a regime that will never regain its lost legitimacy us" An action against the Syrian leadership he has, however, not indicated.
An IS-fighter waves a flag over a captured Syrian fighter aircraft (Photo: AP)
Two and a half weeks ago conquered IS Fighter Syrian military airport Tabka
The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) as umbrella organization for moderate forces welcomed the announcement of Obama. Whether U.S. air attacks would the SNC and Free Syrian Army's really come on IS-benefit objectives, however, is open. In the struggle between the Assad regime, the "Islamic State" and other rebel groups, the Assad troops could be beneficiaries. If the growing pressure of the IS-terrorist militia subsides on the regime, the more this forces has released for the fight against the moderate opposition. "That's probably good for Assad," Lund assess the possible air strikes against IS. The Syrian president would also exploit these attacks for its propaganda. "That helps him to present himself as the protector of the West against terrorism," says Lund. If the United States, the IS-militia bombed instead of the Syrian government forces, the show, who is regarded as the real threat to the West.
Hardly expected protest against U.S. action
Already in August 2013, after the use of chemical weapons in the vicinity of Damascus, seemed US air attacks possible in Syria. At that time, however, positions of the regime had been targeted. President Obama had previously defined the use of chemical weapons as a "red line." If this would be exceeded, Washington originally wanted to intervene. For an intervention to, Russia had then protested. Moscow is allied with Damascus and has blocked several resolutions of the UN Security Council on Syria with his veto. The USA finally renounced attacks. A broad diplomatic front against a U.S. intervention not expect Barnes-Dacey in the case of Terrorganisation IS: "There is an international consensus on the threat posed by the 'Islamic state'."
A soldier of the Free Syrian Army in front of a tank in Deir el-Zor in June 2013 (Photo: Reuters)
The rebels of the Free Syrian Army always inspect fewer cities in Syria
The ECFR expert criticizes Obama mainly from the perspective of counterterrorism on Syria look: "As long as the political reasons for the growth of the 'Islamic state' are not addressed, you can not get to the root of the problem." However, Washington seems to be missing in addition to a clear strategy and the force for a solution to the Syrian war. "This is another attempt by the USA to manage the conflict in Syria, but not to resolve it," Lund judgment on Obama's rate against IS. "I doubt that the United States are currently prepared to take economically, politically and militarily on themselves."
