How effective will be new US strategy to confront the IS ?

While the United States president Barack Obama has vowed "relentless" air strikes against the Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, some nations including the powerful Russia have reacted adversely. They said the decision to bomb inside Syria violates international laws.
Syria, whose president Bashar al-Assad is at loggerheads with the United States and other Western allies, has described the decision of  Obama to strike the IS by air without taking Damascus's consent as an 'aggression' against Syria.
Although Syria opposes the IS tooth and nail, president Assad cannot relish a situation when the United States launches air strikes in his country without consultations with his government. Besides, the US and the Western allies are also assisting the rebels in Syria for a long time for toppling the Assad government.
Moscow, a reliable ally of Assad and whose ties with the US and NATO countries have nosedived in recent times over the Ukraine crisis, views the American plan to bomb the IS strongholds in Syria as a serious violation of the international law. How can they resort to such an action against a sovereign nation without the approval of the United Nations or consent of the Damascus government? A  Kremlin spokesman asked.
President Obama, clearly angered by the Islamic state militant offensive in Iraq and Syria, earlier ordered air strikes against the Sunni fighters' organisation in Iraq and this helped halting the advance of the IS. Now, he has taken a similar decision against the IS in Syria where their fighters are in control of  large areas.
The Islamic State, initially known as the "Islamic State for Iraq and Syria" launched a lightning offensive three months ago and took control of large swathes in northern Iraq and Syria. As the militants poised to make further advance in Iraq including the autonomous Kurdistan, the United States decided to launch air attack against them for what it said 'protecting' American interests and innocent people from the atrocities of the Islamic State. Some activities of the IS have drawn criticism all over like the beheading of two American journalists.
President Barack Obama said the air attack on the IS was proving 'useful' and it would be extended in Iraq and opened in Syria. The US is assisting the anti-Syrian government rebels during the long civil war there.
The Syrian scene is different and complicated as three parties are involved there in the war - the Assad government, the rebels and the Islamic State. The Islamic State is against both the Assad government and the fractious rebels. This makes the scenario quite complex.
Meanwhile, the United States has been able to develop a 'coalition' of Arab and Middle East nations against the Islamic State when secretary of state John Kerry visited Saudi Arabia and held talks with his counterparts of all these ten  nations. Kerry described the 'coalition' as a big achievement to confront the IS and hoped that the Sunni militant group would be crushed.
However, it remains to be seen to what extent these Arab and ME countries work with the US in dealing with the IS as impression also exists that some of these nations are covertly assisting the IS.
The complications in the air strikes in Syria and the latest development involving the ME nations in fighting the IS make the situation interesting.
Barack Obama had earlier involved the US militarily in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, he has involved his country again militarily in Iraq and Syria although he says that American troops would not be sent to all these areas.
zaglulchowdhury@
yahoo.com