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Anti-ISIS Coalition

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The Anti-ISIS Coalition is extensive with varying degrees of support and contributions among its members. The coalition is U.S.-led. Retired General John Allen has been hand-picked by President Obama to put the coalition together.

United Kingdom. The UK has involved itself in the anti-ISIS coalition early on providing humanitarian assistance to the Yazidis Sect in Sinjar and putting their SAS troops on the ground. The UK has named their campaign Operation Shader.

France. This country flew airstrikes into Syria along side the United States at the commencement of the Syria air campaign. France has named its campaign against ISIS Operation Chammal.

Australia. This long-time ally of the United States is once again supporting the U.S. Australian aircraft and members of their special forces are in the UAE and Iraq providing assistance. Learn more about Australia as a member of the anti-ISIS coalition.

Turkey. This country is probably the most frustrating members of the anti-ISIS coalition; that is, if Turkey can actually be considered an ally at this point. Turkey has refused (up until early October) to allow the U.S. to conduct air operations out of Incirlik Air Base (in western Turkey not far from the Syrian border). The Turks have initially support ISIS allowing their fighters to cross over the border between Syria and Turkey. The Turks have hindered the Kurds from crossing north to south to come to the aid of the the Kurdish enclaves; Kobani being the most well-known. Learn more about Turkey as a member of the anti-ISIS coalition.

To Whom Should We Throw Our Support? The jihadi groups will not be defeated on the ground anytime soon. So a strategy of containment and unconventional warfare should be adopted. Air power works to an extent but has its limitations. Our allies in the region against the jihadis are the Jordanian, Saudis, Israelis, and the Kurds. We should continue to support them. We should especially support the Kurds - not sell them down the river as we have in the past.

Papers on Anti-ISIS Coalition Partners

Cordesman, Anthony H. Strategic Partnership in the Middle East: Respecting our Arab Allies, Realism about Ourselves, Center for Strategic & International Studies, Oct 9, 2014.
http://csis.org/publication/strategic-partnership-middle-east-respecting-our-arab-allies-realism-about-ourselves