“It’s common knowledge that Islamic State has already been effectively shut down in the region”
Thanks to Trump, not that he gets any credit. Did more in a year than Obama did during his entire tenure.
The situation has gotten a lot simpler. ISIS has been pushed into the desert and the occasional small town (except in southwest Syria, where Assad has been ignoring them in order to go after everyone else). Al Nusra has all been pushed to Idlib where they’re being systematically wiped out by Turkey as Turkey unifies the province under the control of their own militias and military; there’s not much of them left. They have a “join us or be wiped out” policy, so bit by bit all of the Arab opposition is ending up under their control. The Kurds are basically a protectorate of the US. And then you have Assad/Russia/Iran controlled soldiers and militias. More and more, there’s really just three parties “plus change” with actual people in Syria (plus a couple like Israel, who just occasionally comes in to bomb Iranians)
The militias supported by Turkey in Idlib province arejihadis, one step lower than Iz state but still pro-Sharia and “Christians to the sea, Alawites to the grave” type.