Friday, December 11, 2015

IDF chief: Islamic State can’t be defeated by airstrikes alone


IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot cast doubt on the idea that the Islamic State could be defeated by airstrikes alone and assessed that forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad — including his foreign supporters — have nearly no chance of winning the civil war, according to a Thursday report.

US President Barack Obama earlier this week indicated there would be no shift in strategy and offered no new policy prescriptions for defeating the Islamic State, underscoring both his confidence in his current approach and the lack of easy options for countering the extremist group. On Saturday, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon urged the US to take a more active role in the region.   (READ MORE)