In the absence of an improbably swift peace deal in Syria or the equally unlikely injection of foreign troops, Isil has a reasonable chance of keeping ahold of Raqqa and Mosul through 2016. Western governments are hoping that this buys time for diplomacy, which in turn could expand military options. But if this doesn’t work, the risk is that we contain Isil militarily but not politically. After all, its outposts elsewhere and its individual acolytes in Europe thrive on its very survival.
Read Full Article »
