That is just one reason why an invasion of the caliphate, with local armies supported by Western airstrikes, could have devastating unintended consequences – think of George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. Indeed, even if such a division of labor could be agreed, a ground invasion that denies ISIS its territorial base in Iraq and Syria would merely push it to redeploy in a region that is collapsing into various no man’s lands.
这只是靠西方空袭支持的当地军队入侵哈里发政权可能造成意想不到的灾难性后果的原因之一——布什入侵伊拉克就是一例。事实上，就算真能达成这样的分工，摧毁伊斯兰国在伊拉克和叙利亚区域基地的地面行动也只能逼迫其撤到无人区。