Analysts: UK Airstrikes in Syria Won't Turn Tide Against Islamic State

Analysts¹: UK Airstrikes in Syria Won't Turn Tide Against Islamic State

LONDON—

British warplanes are already conducting airstrikes on Islamic State (IS) targets in Iraq. That operation, Prime Minister David Cameron told British lawmakers Thursday, must be extended to the group’s heartland in Syria.

“We do face a fundamental threat to our security," he said. "We can't wait for a political transition; we have to hit these terrorists in their heartlands right now.”

Striking IS from the skies over Syria may reduce the threat, but some analysts say it won’t make the West safe from attacks like those in Paris.

“What we need to be careful about here is to overemphasize the control that Islamic State has on attacks which occur in Europe, or even in the Sinai," said Michael Stephens, a research fellow with the Qatar-based Royal United Services Institute. "I think there is some evidence that those were slightly autonomous² — and that’s a completely different issue. That’s a homeland security issue.”

Other analysts say the strikes won't defeat the IS militants³.

“[Airstrikes] don’t hurt the group’s infrastructure," said Sajjan Gohel, an international security researcher with the U.K.-based Asia-Pacific Foundation. "More needs to be done to dismantle⁴ ISIS on the ground.”

Cameron is seeking to create a broad alliance against IS militants but ruled out deploying⁵ British troops on the ground.

“I think this has been the problem since 2013, of finding adequate forces, both in Iraq and Syria, that can take on the Islamic State and then secure and hold those territories," said Stephens. "And outside the Kurds, that’s been a challenge.”

British warplanes would add to the growing complexity⁶ of nations operating against IS in the skies above Syria — including the Syrian air force, U.S.-led coalition⁷ planes and Russian fighter jets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced his support Thursday for coordinating⁸ those operations.

“We hope that a really wide international anti-terror coalition will be formed and it will stand up as a well-coordinated, united force,” he said.

Turkey’s downing of a Russian jet Tuesday complicates⁹ any Western-Russian alliance. The two sides also differ on the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — whom Moscow and its Iranian allies want to keep in power.

“Military activity with Russia does not preclude¹⁰ the fact that we have differences with the Russians over Bashar al-Assad," said Stephens. "Those have to be respected and negotiated through.”

British lawmakers will be given a vote on extending the airstrikes to Syria, but only when the government is sure the bill will not be defeated. The main opposition¹¹ Labor¹² Party has yet to declare its voting intentions.

1 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

2 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

5 deploying   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的现在分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Provides support for developing and deploying distributed, component-based applications. 为开发和部署基于组件的分布式应用程序提供支持。
• Advertisement, publishing, repair, and install-on-demand are all available when deploying your application. 在部署应用程序时提供公布、发布、修复和即需即装功能。

6 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

7 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

8 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

9 complicates   

使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• What complicates the issue is the burden of history. 历史的重负使问题复杂化了。
• Russia as a great and ambitious power gravely complicates the situation. 俄国作为一个强大而有野心的国家，使得局势异常复杂。

10 preclude   

vt.阻止，排除，防止；妨碍

参考例句：

• We try to preclude any possibility of misunderstanding.我们努力排除任何误解的可能性。
• My present finances preclude the possibility of buying a car.按我目前的财务状况我是不可能买车的。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。