An Emboldened Islamic State Pushes Forward in Syria

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.