Meanwhile ISIS/ISIL sits back and laughs as Russia ignores them entirely.
The long-term aim would be to defeat or demoralise the non-Isil opposition, so that Isil became the regime’s only enemy. That would force the West to back President Bashar al-Assad against it.
“They want to clean the country of non-Isil rebels, and then the US will work with them as Isil will be the only enemy," the Damascus source said.
ISIL uses the so called moderate rebels to hide behind.
On the contrary...
The folks getting bombs are calling for mass be-headings in retaliation...
... meaning the Russian are probably hitting the right targets. Me thinks those CIA ‘advisers’ should un-ass the area.
The first priority of Assad and Putin is to end the civil war. It is difficult to fight ISIS if you do not have complete control over the country.
They are next, after the Russkies clean up the forces most immediately dangerous to Assad’s piece of Syria.