An American political scientist says the only way to overcome the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria (also known as ISIS) is to work with Tehran and Damascus.
In an article entitled "There’s Only One Way to Beat ISIS: Work with Assad and Iran" which was published by the Daily Beast, an American news reporting and opinion website, on Sunday, Leslie H. Gelb wrote, "The Obama administration has pulled together a coalition as ineffectual as it is unwilling. It's time to join up with the forces that can do the job."
The former New York Times correspondent and the current member of the Council on Foreign Relations also said, "Air power alone cannot stop, let alone defeat ISIS. Even those who now demand an escalation of the overly restrained US air campaign don’t argue that it is a solution… White House officials won’t publicly discuss the limited effectiveness of their air campaign because it’s the only action the US and its partners can now agree to take.
"Privately, however, they understand well that missiles, drones and bombs can help Kurdish forces near Kurdistan and keep the militants from massing forces and armor. But that’s about it."
Gelb urged Washington "to put rhetoric aside and search out a realistic alternative."
"While Turkey, the other possible partner, has shown itself to be more interested in checking its own Kurdish population than in fighting ISIS abroad… Syria is still the best positioned and most usable outfit among the neighboring Arab states. Iran’s forces are even more potent."
"Cooperating with Assad is also the only feasible way, at present, to lessen the humanitarian nightmare in Syria", he concluded.
