Oubai Shahbandar and Michael Pregent : To beat ISIS , U.S. must work with groups it fears . Effectiveness of air campaign hinges on exploiting local vulnerabilities , writers say . If airstrikes are to have a lasting impact , they must cut off ISIS ' land bridge between Syria and Iraq and ultimately decapitate its command structure . TL;DR The Islamic State has been losing ground in Iraq since the start of 2015, but its fighters are still able to carry out attacks outside their home territory.
Oubai Shahbandar and Michael Pregent : To beat ISIS , U.S. must work with groups it fears . Effectiveness of air campaign hinges on exploiting local vulnerabilities , writers say . TL;DR The Islamic State has been losing ground in Iraq since the start of 2015, but its fighters are still able to carry out attacks outside their home territory.