The Drumbeat of War

Previous blog posts here have addressed the issue of ISIS and the problems in Syria. Recent events have seen the beheading of two Americans by ISIS. This has caused an increase in the number of people thinking it is time to go to war with them and the vocalizations of pundits has gotten more militaristic. We send more and more "military advisors" to Iraq and we are conducting drone surveillance over Syria most likely with the intent of bombing some targets. The "experts" are saying that the "mission" cannot be completed without "boots on the ground". Since using words like war and troops apparently is too descriptive for the American public. President Obama indicated we are "working on a strategy" and this drove people a bit crazy. They seem to think we should already have a strategy which seems to be, kill all the bad guys. If it was only that simple. Perhaps looking at the following will assist you in developing a strategy. Here are the various groups that are involved in the civil war in Syria.

Fighting for the Syrian government we have the following:
Syrian Armed forces
National Defense Force
Jaysh al-Sha'bi
Suqur al-Sahara
Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas
Badr Organization
Gaidar al-Karar Brigade
Promised Day Brigades
Hezbollah
PFLP-GC
Syrian Social Nationalist Party
Jaysh al-Muwahhideen
Palestine Liberation Army
Syrian Resistance
Kata'ib Hezbollah
Ba'ath Brigades
Fatah al-Intifada
Liwa Al Quds
Arab Democratic Party
Houthis
Popular Committees
Mavros Krinos
Arab Nationalist Guard
Liwa Dhu al-Fiqar
Slavonic Corps
Faylak Wa'ad al-Sadiq
al-Berri clan
Tayy tribe militias
al-Jihesh tribe militias
The following groups from Iran who support the Syrian government
Quds Force
Basij
Armament support is provided to the government by the following
Russia
North Korea
Iraq

Let's keep in mind these are the folks aligned with Bashar al-Assad. He is the guy many wanted to bomb a year ago alleging he used chemical weapons on the opposition and civilians. President Obama wanted authorization from Congress which never came and the bombing raids never took place.

Groups with the Opposition government
Free Syrian Army
Syria Revolutionaries Front
Islamic Front
Al-Nusra Front
Army of Mujahedeen
Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union
Ansar al-Deen Front
Ghuraba al-Sham
Jund al-Sham
Abdullah Azzam Brigade
Fatah al-Islam
Ansar al-Islam
Muharjirin wa-Ansar Alliance
Turkistan Islamic Party
Muslim Brotherhood of Syria
Authenticity and Development Front
Free Syrian Union
Junud al-Sham
Jaysh al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah
Deir-ez Zor Sharia Court
Brigade of al-Qaka
Revolutionary Council
Tawafiq
Fajr al-Islam
Krdish Katibat al-Taliban
Liwa al-Tawhid wal-Jihad
Liwa al-Asifa
Ansar al-Khalifa Brigade
People's Liberation Faction
Nour al-Din al Zanki Islamic Brigades
Sham Legion
Shields of the Revolution Council
Alwiya al-Furqan

Armament support provided by the following:
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
United States
Lybia

Kurdish self-administration groups:
People's Protection Units
Asayish
Jabhat al-Akrad
Shammar tribe militias
Sharabiyya tribe militias
Zubayd tribe militias
Kurdish Union Party
Syriac Military Council
Sutoro

Armament Support provided by"
Kurdish Regional Government
Kurdistan Democratic Party
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

Finally ISIS

Armament support provided by:
Kuwait

So there you have the various groups involved in the Syrian Civil War. Should we choose to move the fight into Syria who do we fight with and who do we fight against? It will be warfare much like what went on in Vietnam. No front lines, no idea who is friend or foe. Afghanistan should also provide some useful background for how this war will go if we get involved. We will likely spend billions of dollars, sacrifice thousands of lives of our troops and in the end come home and find nothing has changed. ISIS may be gone but another group will emerge with similar ideals and perhaps even worse conduct.

The choice of strategy and going to war doesn't seem so simple now does it?