The Aspen Institute

Hanin Ghaddar, Managing Editor, NOW (English); Ambassador James Jeffrey, Former Ambassador to Iraq and Turkey and Philip Solondz Distinguished Visiting Fellow, The Washington Institute. Moderated by Rachel Bronson.

“The war with you has just begun,” warned the head of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to US leaders in July of 2012. Yet, not until two years later were airstrikes initiated by the US-led coalition—during which time the jihadist group has spread throughout the Levant. Even now, with northern Syria in danger of becoming fully ISIS-controlled, experts question whether efforts to combat ISIS may in fact aid the Assad regime. With so many competing parties and interests in the Levant, how can we design a comprehensive strategy in such a rapidly-changing conflict? What are our goals and how can we measure success without adequate intelligence or boots on the ground?