Elon forum tackles Syria, extremists and ISIS

Khalil said that the Syrian government also supported ISIS when it was first formed as an attempt to deter former President George W. Bush from invading Syria while American armed forces were fighting in Iraq. The Syrian government released people from their jails during that time who went eventually to be trained at ISIS training camps, according to Khalil.Khalil said the current Syrian government’s attention is toward fighting the moderate opposition groups as opposed to fighting against ISIS.The moderate opposition forces would have benefited greatly in 2012-13 if an external force had provided support at that time, Korkor said. The current military air campaigns led by the United States in the region haven’t met expectations on the ground.“It’s a very messy situation.”