But in a conflict where nothing has been as simple as anticipated, the Raqqa offensive has already sparked new alliances. There, they have found themselves effectively side by side with Russian and Syrian government forces with the same apparent objective. With some apparent exasperation, Townsend called on all anti-Islamic State forces in northern Syria to stop fighting among themselves and concentrate on the best way to beat the militants. [Obama’s White House worked for months on a plan to seize Raqqa. Rather than a wholesale revision, the new proposal calls for increased U.S. participation, with more personnel and equipment and less-restrictive rules.

Source: Washington Post March 04, 2017 23:33 UTC