Ground troops must to defeat IS in Syria

Middle East is a seething cauldron. Although US President Donald Trump called the fight against IS his top priority and vowed to wipe IS from the face of earth, the young administration is wary of getting mired in the region. Trump criticized past presidents for getting deep in Iraq and other conflicts. Trump does not want to go solo in fight against IS. He gave his generals 30 days to offer their solution to eliminate IS scourge.
A week ago in Washington, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the foreign ministers of 68-nation coalition fighting against IS to contribute more towards stabilizing territories clawed back from terrorists group. The anti-IS coalition was formed by former President Barack Obama in an effort to eliminate the threat from the terrorist organization. Trump administration appears to endorse it, making it one of the few initiatives started by the previous administration that Trump has retained unchanged.
Tillerson said that while the alliance would work to clear landmines and restore water and electricity, it must not be in the business of nation-building and reconstruction. While assuring about the US part, Tillerson asked the gathering of representatives of coalition countries to figure out how they can help support the vital stabilization effort, especially in the areas of military and financial support. Tillerson’s message underscored the challenge that the US faces under President Donald Trump in fighting the group.
Now Tillerson is in Turkey seeking to shore up support from a crucial NATO ally in the fight against the IS in Syria and Iraq. Tillerson and Turkish officials discussed ways to coordinate the fight against the extremist group. US top diplomat was bracing for tension over the Raqqa fight. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has previously said that the US risks major damage to its relationship with NATO ally Turkey if the US includes Kurdish forces in the fight to retake Raqqa. Ankara has pressed the US to mount a joint fight to retake Raqqa, but it is against the inclusion of Syrian Kurdish fighters in operations. Turkish authorities consider the Syrian Kurdish force to be a terrorist group that threatens Turkey’s security. But Yildirim skirted the differences over the role of Kurdish forces and said that the two NATO allies agreed to strengthen cooperation on regional matters.
Trump administration wants that Raqqa attack must be militarily viable. Tillerson reiterated that the coalition’s prime goal is the regional elimination of IS through military force and US is focused on it. Trump could make good on his promises of defeating IS menace only if he sent in an overwhelming force of US ground troops. Experts say that wider military action is required to tackle what Trump deems an “existential” threat. But the Republican leader does not want to embark on politically risky option that could plunge the US into Middle East quagmire. And the facts on the ground suggest that airstrikes alone cannot bring desired result in fight against IS extremists. Though reluctantly, Trump will have to put troops on the ground.