ASSESSMENTS

An Emboldened Islamic State Pushes Forward in Syria

Jul 7, 2014 | 19:52 GMT

An Emboldened Islamic State Pushes Forward in Syria
A Syrian child clears debris from a street in the contested northeastern city of Deir el-Zour.

(AHMAD ABOUD/AFP/Getty Images)

Summary

Buoyed by recent successes in its Iraq campaign, the Islamic State has strengthened its position in Syria prior to launching a fresh offensive against its perceived enemies: both the regime of Bashar al Assad and more moderate Islamist groups. Although confident at the moment, the Islamic State runs a serious risk of overextending itself. Any new push by the group will prove detrimental to all other parties in the Syrian conflict, including outside benefactors.

Bolstered by successes in Iraq, the group is consolidating its previous gains in Syria and escalating offensive operations....

Keep Reading

Register to read three free articles

Proceed to sign up

Register Now

Already have an account?

Sign In