August 25, 2014 | Quote
What are Obama’s Options For Stomping Out ISIS in Iraq and Syria?
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Why there are drawbacks: “It’s not as simple as, ‘A-ha, bomb Syria now,’” said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow with the national security think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The U.S. would have to decide how it would inform Syria's government and coordinate with its military forces, as the two countries maintain a chilly relationship.
In addition, the possibility of an air raid killing civilians in Syria, a country already decimated by war, would only bruise the U.S.’s image, Gartenstein-Ross said.
“In taking a heavier role, we have to make sure we don’t end up doing more harm than good — that we don’t end up killing civilian populations,” he added.
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Such a level of sophistication has led the U.S. to aid ISIS's enemies — the Iraqi government and Kurdish regional forces — with military support. That's something that must continue, said Gartenstein-Ross. He added that there are likely ISIS members who are malcontent, given the alleged atrocities carried out, and are willing to turn.
“This organization is extraordinarily brutal,” Gartenstein-Ross said. “If you can locate ISIS members who are dissatisfied and give them a chance to defect and then publicize their story, you start to create a public-relations campaign against ISIS.”
“We just have to be aware that any undertaking can’t be done with such a heavy hand that it would backfire on us,” he added.
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