After over four years of fighting, the civil war in Syria is still clearly nowhere near its end. None of the three main power groups—Bashar Assad’s government forces, the Syrian opposition, or the Islamic State (or ISIS)—have been able to obtain a decisive victory.
Recent outside interventions haven’t dramatically altered the circumstances of any one group. Airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State—not supported by ground operations—have not resulted in strategic changes. And the unexpected launch of Russian military operations supporting government forces has only further confused the situation.
But that’s not to say that these outside interventions aren’t …read more
Source: Brookings