Most nations, except for Russia, classify ISIS as a far greater threat than moderate rebels. But the realization that a bomb probably planted by an ISIS-affiliated group is likely responsible for bringing down a Russian plane should prompt Russia to reassess its priorities. The intelligence came from American and British officials who heard a noise at the end of the cockpit recording that indicated that the plane was “intentionally brought down.” This news comes on the tail end of a series of Russian airstrikes that, according to American officials, targeted “CIA-backed rebels in Syria.”
Russia is actually strengthening ISIS by targeting moderate rebels since some of the the rebels that Russia targeted are helping in the fight against ISIS. Since the rebels are backed up by the CIA, they are invested in fighting ISIS as well as removing Syrian president Basshar al Assad from power. The rebels commanding the attention of ISIS are forcing them to use resources that could be used to wage attacks against other countries, such as Russia and the United States. Although the rebels are not the only organization influencing the outcome of the battle against ISIS, they are certainly a major one. If it weren’t for the rebels, ISIS would control far more territories, have access to more resources and be far deadlier overall. However, Russia does not seem to be aware of this fact and is focusing far more effort and resources on attacking rebel targets instead of targeting ISIS directly.
Even if ISIS did not pose a major threat to Russia, Russia should still be more concerned about ISIS than moderate rebels. A region ruled by ISIS would destabilize the Middle East, making it far easier for extremist groups to get hold of weapons that they could use against Russia. It would make an already difficult situation nearly impossible to control. Russia, along with all other nations, should be concerned about the sheer brutality that ISIS uses to rule its nations. Although Russia has its own fair share of human rights violations, it must admit that burning a captured pilot alive and brutally executing civilians are completely unacceptable acts that must have consequences for those involved.
ISIS’s recent decision to target a Russian airliner gives the world a revealing look at the deviant organization. ISIS has no limits and is willing to target civilians and noncombatants alike. This global threat must be countered through a global multinational response that incorporates as many countries as possible, including Russia.