no point in striking ISIS unless you also set a goal to take down Assad, and act to achieve it.
The Turks are right in their call for a "humanitarian strip" — 25-30 km into Syrian territory along the borders, and declare it a “no fly zone’’, a place for refugees (there are several million of them) to assemble and where they can receive humanitarian aid.
¢ What hasn't been said explicitly is that such a deployment might lead sooner or later to engagement with the Syrian Air Force — followed by the Syrian Air Defense — which could develop into an opportunity to fundamentally change the balance of power and the course of the war against Assad's regime.
And one insight: ISIS may not be as strong as it 1s being portrayed. A coherent ,intense, coordinated action during the next year or two, particularly
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