En Route to Useful Syria: Al-Qaeda Back in the Game?
... on its territory, which has been confirmed both by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani , the most influential Shiite figure. However, the level of Russia-Iraq cooperation still depends on Washington's stance. The weakening of Jabhat al-Nusra and its allies caused by Mr. Assad's army and Russian air support has markedly strengthened ISIS in northern Syria. Many analysts agree that Moscow is siding with the Shiite Crescent, although Russia's stance is quite clear. President ...