Regional Discord Fuels Islamic State’s Rise in Mideast - WSJ
Regional Discord Fuels Islamic State’s Rise in Mideast - WSJ Saturday October 17 th , 2015 at 11:25 AM 1 Share ENLARGE By Yaroslav Trofimov in Dubai and Yaroslav Trofimov The Wall Street Journal CANCEL Biography @yarotrof YaroTrofimov yaroslav.trofimov@wsj.com Philip Shishkin in Washington Philip Shishkin The Wall Street Journal CANCEL Biography @shishkinp philip.shishkin@wsj.com 130 COMMENTS Pretty much everyone in the Middle East is supposed to be fighting against Islamic State. Yet, the Sunni extremist group retains large swaths of Syria and Iraq and is spreading elsewhere in the region. This isn’t because of its military might or strategic sophistication. The explanation is different: For most of the major players in the complicated conflicts ravaging the Middle East, the defeat of Islamic State remains a secondary goal, subordinate to more pressing objectives. For some of these powers, Isl