Syria, West explore cooperation to fight Islamic State
Western intelligence officials have reportedly reached out to the Syrian government on potential cooperation over the Islamic State threat, but so far little progress has been made.
The Syrian government is seeking to present itself as the West’s only option to confront the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. After the terror group’s gains in Iraq and eastern Syria — edging out both its jihadist rival Jabhat al-Nusra from Deir ez-Zor and the last regime bastion in Raqqa — IS is making its move in Aleppo’s countryside, pushing closer to the country’s second largest city as it strikes rebel-held territory.
But despite the shocking loss of the Tabaqa military air base in Raqqa and IS' execution of dozens of captured Syrian soldiers, the Syrian regime is still prioritizing its fight with Jabhat al-Nusra and rebel factions.
“If the regime had to choose between Jabhat al-Nusra and IS, it would still prefer IS,” a Lebanese source close to the Syrian government told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. The regime wants to eliminate all possible alternatives as options for the West to combat the Islamic State, he said, adding, “Jabhat al-Nusra took the Quneitra crossing a few days ago. If they decide tomorrow to switch allegiance to the Islamic State and raise the Islamic State flag, the regime will let them be.”
The United States has lately assumed a more bellicose position toward IS, following the radicals’ stunning advances in Iraq, capturing its second-largest city, Mosul, before threatening the Iraqi Kurdistan capital of Erbil. President Barack Obama has signaled his intention to expand US operations against IS from Iraq to Syria, raising interest in Damascus for potential cooperation and a renewal of legitimacy for the Syrian regime.
