British Bombings Won't End War in Syria

It is a military campaign designed to prove that ISIL is not invincible. If anything, the prospects for ending the war are receding. The Russian intervention has sharpened sectarian tensions and given a boost to ISIL recruitment. The outside players all have clashing agendas. Vladimir Putin is intent on maintaining his ally, Bashar Al Assad, in power. He is trying to destroy the opposition forces in the north of Syria so that the arms supply routes from Turkey are disrupted. The Turks see the advance of the Kurdish YPG militia in the borderlands as a greater threat than ISIL. The Europeans and Americans are focusing on degrading ISIL.