US marines are being sent to Syria to reinforce the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group.
Together with heavy artillery, the marines are prepared to back up forces they have trained to fight in Raqqa, ISIL's self-declared capital.
How do the US troops complicate an already crowded battlefield alongside Russian, Turkish and Kurdish forces?
What is the endgame? What happens if and when ISIL is defeated?
Presenter: Hazem Sika
Guests:
Andreas Krieg - assistant professor at the defence studies department at King's College London
Noah Bonsey - senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis Group
Mamoun Abu Nowar - a retired Jordanian Air Force general and military analyst
