U.S. sailors inspect aircraft before launching them from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush in the Persian Gulf, Oct. 2, 2014. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Card

U.S.-Led Air War In Syria Is Off To A Difficult Start -- Washington Post

REYHANLI, Turkey — The U.S.-led air war in Syria has gotten off to a rocky start, with even the Syrian rebel groups closest to the United States turning against it, U.S. ally Turkey refusing to contribute and the plight of a beleaguered Kurdish town exposing the limitations of the strategy.

U.S. officials caution that the strikes are just the beginning of a broader strategy that could take years to carry out. But the anger that the attacks have stirred risks undermining the effort, analysts and rebels say.

The main beneficiary of the strikes so far appears to be President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have taken advantage of the shift in the military balance to step up attacks against the moderate rebels designated by President Obama as partners of the United States in the war against extremists.

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My Comment: Let us see how the war is going .... Kobani about to fall. Iraq's Anbar province about to fall. Islamic State forces on the outskirts of Baghdad. Thousands of new IS recruits every month. Token allied and coalition involvement. Our few allies in Syria abandoning us. Emboldening Assad and the Syrian military to intensify their campaign against "moderate" Syrian rebels. Hundreds of thousands of new refugees. The genocide of all ethnic communities and Christians. Yup .... this air war is not off to a good start.