Syrian politician warns US over IS action

The Syrian Parliament's Speaker has warned America that "putting weapons in the wrong hands is an irreversible action". Jihad Al Lahham says that this decision would be in violation of United Nations

Security Council resolutions and will lead to a failed state in Syria. Mr Al Lahham warns US politicians that "putting the weapons in the wrong hands is an irreversible action that will trigger a global, negative chain reaction."

Instead, he proposes a two-pronged approach to fighting Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, consisting of de-radicalisation and intelligence collaboration, particularly with Turkey. The Syrians have long argued that the Turkish government must to do more to stem the influx of fighters crossing over its borders into Syria.

The letter is unlikely to have any impact on how US politicians vote, but it is the clearest indication yet on how the Syrian government feels about foreign military involvement to defeat IS.

The Syrians have been giving mixed messages on this subject. On the one hand, weakening IS would work in their favour as the extremists have taken over large areas of the country's east and continue to encroach on the city of Aleppo.

However, arming President Bashar al Assad's opposition to get rid of IS may be too high a price to pay for the Syrian government. The Saudis and the Americans have made no secret over the past three years they want Assad gone and just because these countries now share a common enemy, does not make them all friends.

The letter also raises an important point about who are the "moderate" opposition.

From the start of the uprising, the Syrian government has argued all these groups have destructive, Islamist ideologies. The US administration is going to great lengths to explain that within the opposition you have "good guys" and "bad guys", with the training and arms obviously going to the former to defeat the latter.

But at no point yet has the US, or states in their coalition against IS, explained which groups and leaders are considered "moderate" or how they will guarantee these groups' aims remain in line with the US in the future.

The worry is that a knee-jerk reaction to arm groups to fight other armed groups in both Syria and Iraq may, in the long-term, lead to more violence. In other words, while world leaders are quick to highlight the consequences of inaction against IS, they seem to be less concerned about the possible consequences of their actions.

The letter also comes ahead of the start of the UN General Assembly meeting next week when decisions on what action to take against IS are likely to be made. It will provide ammunition and talking points for Syria's allies at the UN like Russia and China who will no doubt highlight the dangers of arming the opposition.

While many may dismiss these arguments as pro-Syrian propaganda, in reality how the US and their allies deal with IS may prove just as dangerous to the region's stability as the militants themselves.

(Culled).