A coalition of 65 countries are engaged in international efforts to counter ISIS (also known
as Daesh, ISIL or Islamic State). The military campaign in Iraq and Syria is just one aspect of
that broader strategy which also includes measures to restrict the flow of foreign fighters,
stop foreign financing, provide humanitarian assistance to Iraq and Syria and strategic
communications, intended to counter their ideology.
In terms of the military campaign (Operation Inherent Resolve), which is the focus of this
paper, the United States has led airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria since 8 August
2014 and end of September 2014 respectively. With a view to building the capacity of
local forces on the ground, offensive military action has so far been restricted to air
operations in support of local forces, providing reconnaissance, surveillance and attack
capabilities. Training is also being provided by a number of coalition countries to the Iraqi
security forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga in order to bolster their ground capabilities and
allow them to take the fight to ISIS.
The US had also been leading a programme of training for moderate opposition forces in
Syria. However, that programme has been beset with difficulties and on 9 October the US
announced that it would pursue a new strategy with respect to supporting opposition
forces in Syria. The US has also announced that “less than 50” Special Forces personnel
would deploy on the ground in northern Syria to provide logistical and planning assistance
to Kurdish and other local forces in the fight against ISIS.
Who is in the military coalition?
The coalition against ISIS is being led by the United States.
Along with the US, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia,
Jordan, Canada and Denmark have all conducted air strikes in Iraq, although Belgium and
Denmark have recently withdrawn their combat aircraft.
The first US- led airstrikes in Syria were assisted by aircraft from five Arab countries:
Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with Qatar in a supporting
role. Since then Turkey, Canada, France and Australia have joined the air campaign in
Syria; while the UK is conducting surveillance reconnaissance operations over Syria.
The new Canadian government has announced its intention to end its combat mission in
Iraq and Syria, although the timetable for doing do is currently unclear. At the same time,
and in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015 the French
government has also called on its broader coalition partners to support the military
campaign against ISIS.
The United States, the UK and a number of other coalition countries have also deployed
military personnel on the ground in Iraq to train Iraqi and Kurdish security forces. These
are not combat troops and are not deployed in an offensive role.
Legal basis
Military action in Iraq is being conducted at the request of the Iraqi government, which
coalition partners consider provides a firm legal basis for operations.
The reluctance of many coalition partners to intervene in Syria has partly been because of
concerns over the legality of such military action, given that it is not at the request of the
Assad government, and is being conducted in the absence of a UN Security Council
resolution specifically authorising such action
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