Commentary: Trump can't fight Islamic State without wading into Syria's warOver the course of the U.S. presidential campaign, Donald Trump changed his mind on many issues. But he’s been consistent on one foreign policy question: he wants to end American support for Syrian opposition groups fighting Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Trump argues that the United States should expend all of its efforts on fighting Islamic State instead.  "I’ve had an opposite view of many people regarding Syria,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Nov. 11, in his first interview after he won the White House. “My attitude was you’re fighting Syria, Syria is fighting ISIS, and you have to get rid of ISIS. Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria. … Now we’re backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are.”  Even if Trump goes ahead with his threat to cut off aid to Syrian rebels fighting the Assad regime – especially those supported by a covert CIA program which provides training and anti-tank missiles – the president-elect will face another major test of his Syria policy soon after he’s inaugurated on Jan. 20. The United States is supporting two military campaigns simultaneously in Syria: one against Assad’s government and the other against Islamic State. Trump has made clear that he doesn’t view the fight against Assad as a U.S. priority. But will Trump continue a separate Pentagon support and training program for the Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition of rebel groups, which is leading a ground offensive to oust Islamic State from the city of Raqqa, capital of its self-proclaimed caliphate?  That campaign started on Nov. 6 with a mobilization of about 30,000 rebels to encircle Raqqa and cut it off from all sides, to deny Islamic State the ability to resupply weapons and fighters. The battle to push the jihadists out of Raqqa could take months. If it falters under a fledging Trump administration, Islamic State would have a safe base from which it would unleash new attacks in Syria and Iraq, and against the West.  U.S. military planners pushed for the Raqqa offensive to start soon after the long-awaited invasion to recapture Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, from the militants began in mid-October. Pentagon officials say they fear that Islamic State operatives, including some who fled the Mosul offensive, will use Raqqa to plot attacks against Western targets. “There’s a sense of urgency about what we have to do here because we’re just not sure what they’re [jihadists] up to, and where, and when,” the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Lt. General Stephen Townsend, said at a news conference on Oct. 26  in Baghdad. “But we know that this plot planning is emanating from Raqqa.”  Trump says he wants to avoid direct U.S. involvement in the Syrian conflict, which has expanded into a regional proxy war. Russia and Iran, along with allied militias like Lebanon’s Hezbollah, are helping Assad consolidate control and recapture territory he lost to the rebels and jihadist groups. Assad and his backers have rarely fought directly against Islamic State, which controls Raqqa and other parts of eastern Syria. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United States are backing various rebel factions that are fighting Assad and his allies, and, at times, Islamic State.  Under Barack Obama’s administration, the CIA has funneled up to $1 billion a year in weapons, including light arms, ammunition and anti-tank missiles, to Syrian rebel groups fighting the Assad regime that were deemed moderate by U.S. officials. But some of these rebels have been forced into battlefield alliances with jihadists, including al Qaeda affiliated groups.  While the offensive against Islamic State in Raqqa began in the waning days of the Obama administration, it needs support from the incoming Trump administration to bear fruit. But the Raqqa operation is already alienating American allies, especially Turkey, which is critical of the Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF is a coalition of Kurdish, Sunni Arab, Christian and Turkmen rebel groups that is anchored by the People’s Protection Units (known by its Kurdish acronym, YPG), which includes thousands of Syrian Kurdish fighters.  Turkish leaders view the YPG and other Syrian Kurdish groups as allies of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (known as the PKK), which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish government since the 1980s, seeking autonomy for Kurdish areas. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists that Washington must not allow the YPG to take a leading role in expelling Islamic State from Raqqa, a largely Sunni Arab city.  During the presidential campaign, Trump argued the United States should arm and help Kurdish factions, both in Iraq and Syria. “I’m a big fan of the Kurdish forces,” he said in July. If Trump follows through on his praise of the Kurds, that would be good news for the SDF and its largest militia, the YPG.  But once in office, Trump would also have to balance the objections of allies like Turkey and Erdogan, its increasingly autocratic president. Among his first top appointments, Trump named Michael Flynn, a retired general and former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, as his national security adviser. Flynn, who once worked as a paid lobbyist for a prominent Turkish businessman, has expressed strong support for Erdogan’s government and argued that Washington should be more sympathetic to its concerns.  In late August, Turkey sent several hundred of its special forces into Syria, and began carrying out air strikes to help rebel factions allied with Ankara consolidate control of territory near the Turkish-Syrian border. The Turkish-backed rebels have fought both Islamic State jihadists and occasionally the U.S.-backed YPG militia.  In October, Erdogan said he told Obama in a phone call that Turkey was capable of ousting Islamic State from Raqqa on its own. Other Turkish officials argued that the campaign to retake Raqqa should not begin until Iraqi forces complete their offensive against Islamic State in Mosul, which has slowed in recent weeks.  But U.S. officials are keen to isolate Raqqa and use Syrian forces to encircle it, mainly because of worries about Islamic State operatives fleeing from Mosul and plotting new attacks against the West. That concern is genuine because the jihadist group – even as it was weakened over the past year, after intensive U.S.-led bombing and defeats by its opponents in Iraq and Syria – has shown a significant ability to adapt and inflict new terror.  In the coming months, Islamic State will find new ways to endure an American-orchestrated offensive on Raqqa. It will try to take advantage of the change in U.S. administration. And once he’s in office, Trump will discover that fighting and containing Islamic State inevitably means wading into Syria’s complicated war.  politicsNews
commentary trump ca fight islamic state without wading syria warbler course presidential campaign donald trump changed mind many issues but consistent one foreign policy question wants end american support syrian opposition groups fighting basal regime trump argues united states expand efforts fighting islamic state instead i opposite view many people regarding syria trump told wall street journal first interview white house my attitude fighting syria syria fighting isis get rid isis russia totally aligned syria iran becoming powerful us aligned syria now backing rebels syria idea people even trump goes ahead threat cut aid syrian rebels fighting assad regime especially supported covert cia program provides training missiles face another major test syria policy soon inaugurated the united states supporting two military campaigns simultaneously syria one assad government islamic state trump made clear view fight assad priority but trump continue separate pentagon support training program syrian democratic forces coalition rebel groups leading ground offensive oust islamic state city aqua capital caliphate that campaign started mobilization rebels encircle aqua cut sides deny islamic state ability resupply weapons fighters the battle push jihadists aqua could take months if filters fledgling trump administration islamic state would safe base would unleash new attacks syria iraq west military planners pushed aqua offensive start soon invasion recapture iraq city mosul militants began pentagon officials say fear islamic state operatives including fled mosul offensive use aqua plot attacks western targets there sense urgency sure jihadists top military commander iraq general stephen townland said news conference baghdad but know plot planning emanating trump says wants avoid direct involvement syrian conflict expanded regional proxy war russia iran along allied militias like lebanon hezbollah helping assad consolidate control recapture territory lost rebels jihadist groups assad backers rarely fought directly islamic state controls aqua parts eastern syria turkey saudi arabia qatar united states backing various rebel factions fighting assad allies times islamic state under barack obama administration cia fueled billion year weapons including light arms ammunition missiles syrian rebel groups fighting assad regime deemed moderate officials but rebels forced battlefield alliances jihadists including al qaeda affiliated groups while offensive islamic state aqua began waning days obama administration needs support incoming trump administration bear fruit but aqua operation already alienating american allies especially turkey critical syrian democratic forces the sdf coalition kurdish sunny arab christian turkey rebel groups anchored people protection units known kurdish acronym ypg includes thousands syrian kurdish fighters turkish leaders view ypg syrian kurdish groups allies kurdistan workers party known pkk waged insurgency turkish government since seeking autonomy kurdish areas turkish president recap tayyip erdogan insists washington must allow ypg take leading role expelling islamic state aqua largely sunny arab city during presidential campaign trump argued united states arm help kurdish factions iraq syria i big fan kurdish forces said july if trump follows praise kurds would good news sdf largest militia ypg but office trump would also balance objections allies like turkey erdogan increasingly autocratic president among first top appointments trump named michael flynn retired general former head defense intelligence agency national security adviser flynn worked paid lobbyist prominent turkish businessman expressed strong support erdogan government argued washington sympathetic concerns in late august turkey sent several hundred special forces syria began carrying air strikes help rebel factions allied kara consolidate control territory near border the rebels fought islamic state jihadists occasionally ypg militia in october erdogan said told obama phone call turkey capable ousting islamic state aqua other turkish officials argued campaign retake aqua begin iraqi forces complete offensive islamic state mosul slowed recent weeks but officials keen isolate aqua use syrian forces encircle mainly worries islamic state operatives fleeing mosul plotting new attacks west that concern genuine jihadist group even weakened past year intensive bombing defeats opponents iraq syria shown significant ability adapt inflict new terror in coming months islamic state find new ways endure offensive aqua it try take advantage change administration and office trump discover fighting containing islamic state inevitably means wading syria complicated war politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Commentary: Trump can't fight Islamic State without wading into Syria's warOver the course of the U.S. presidential campaign, Donald Trump changed his mind on many issues. But he’s been consistent on one foreign policy question: he wants to end American support for Syrian opposition groups fighting Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Trump argues that the United States should expend all of its efforts on fighting Islamic State instead.  "I’ve had an opposite view of many people regarding Syria,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Nov. 11, in his first interview after he won the White House. “My attitude was you’re fighting Syria, Syria is fighting ISIS, and you have to get rid of ISIS. Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria. … Now we’re backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are.”  Even if Trump goes ahead with his threat to cut off aid to Syrian rebels fighting the Assad regime – especially those supported by a covert CIA program which provides training and anti-tank missiles – the president-elect will face another major test of his Syria policy soon after he’s inaugurated on Jan. 20. The United States is supporting two military campaigns simultaneously in Syria: one against Assad’s government and the other against Islamic State. Trump has made clear that he doesn’t view the fight against Assad as a U.S. priority. But will Trump continue a separate Pentagon support and training program for the Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition of rebel groups, which is leading a ground offensive to oust Islamic State from the city of Raqqa, capital of its self-proclaimed caliphate?  That campaign started on Nov. 6 with a mobilization of about 30,000 rebels to encircle Raqqa and cut it off from all sides, to deny Islamic State the ability to resupply weapons and fighters. The battle to push the jihadists out of Raqqa could take months. If it falters under a fledging Trump administration, Islamic State would have a safe base from which it would unleash new attacks in Syria and Iraq, and against the West.  U.S. military planners pushed for the Raqqa offensive to start soon after the long-awaited invasion to recapture Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, from the militants began in mid-October. Pentagon officials say they fear that Islamic State operatives, including some who fled the Mosul offensive, will use Raqqa to plot attacks against Western targets. “There’s a sense of urgency about what we have to do here because we’re just not sure what they’re [jihadists] up to, and where, and when,” the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Lt. General Stephen Townsend, said at a news conference on Oct. 26  in Baghdad. “But we know that this plot planning is emanating from Raqqa.”  Trump says he wants to avoid direct U.S. involvement in the Syrian conflict, which has expanded into a regional proxy war. Russia and Iran, along with allied militias like Lebanon’s Hezbollah, are helping Assad consolidate control and recapture territory he lost to the rebels and jihadist groups. Assad and his backers have rarely fought directly against Islamic State, which controls Raqqa and other parts of eastern Syria. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United States are backing various rebel factions that are fighting Assad and his allies, and, at times, Islamic State.  Under Barack Obama’s administration, the CIA has funneled up to $1 billion a year in weapons, including light arms, ammunition and anti-tank missiles, to Syrian rebel groups fighting the Assad regime that were deemed moderate by U.S. officials. But some of these rebels have been forced into battlefield alliances with jihadists, including al Qaeda affiliated groups.  While the offensive against Islamic State in Raqqa began in the waning days of the Obama administration, it needs support from the incoming Trump administration to bear fruit. But the Raqqa operation is already alienating American allies, especially Turkey, which is critical of the Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF is a coalition of Kurdish, Sunni Arab, Christian and Turkmen rebel groups that is anchored by the People’s Protection Units (known by its Kurdish acronym, YPG), which includes thousands of Syrian Kurdish fighters.  Turkish leaders view the YPG and other Syrian Kurdish groups as allies of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (known as the PKK), which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish government since the 1980s, seeking autonomy for Kurdish areas. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists that Washington must not allow the YPG to take a leading role in expelling Islamic State from Raqqa, a largely Sunni Arab city.  During the presidential campaign, Trump argued the United States should arm and help Kurdish factions, both in Iraq and Syria. “I’m a big fan of the Kurdish forces,” he said in July. If Trump follows through on his praise of the Kurds, that would be good news for the SDF and its largest militia, the YPG.  But once in office, Trump would also have to balance the objections of allies like Turkey and Erdogan, its increasingly autocratic president. Among his first top appointments, Trump named Michael Flynn, a retired general and former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, as his national security adviser. Flynn, who once worked as a paid lobbyist for a prominent Turkish businessman, has expressed strong support for Erdogan’s government and argued that Washington should be more sympathetic to its concerns.  In late August, Turkey sent several hundred of its special forces into Syria, and began carrying out air strikes to help rebel factions allied with Ankara consolidate control of territory near the Turkish-Syrian border. The Turkish-backed rebels have fought both Islamic State jihadists and occasionally the U.S.-backed YPG militia.  In October, Erdogan said he told Obama in a phone call that Turkey was capable of ousting Islamic State from Raqqa on its own. Other Turkish officials argued that the campaign to retake Raqqa should not begin until Iraqi forces complete their offensive against Islamic State in Mosul, which has slowed in recent weeks.  But U.S. officials are keen to isolate Raqqa and use Syrian forces to encircle it, mainly because of worries about Islamic State operatives fleeing from Mosul and plotting new attacks against the West. That concern is genuine because the jihadist group – even as it was weakened over the past year, after intensive U.S.-led bombing and defeats by its opponents in Iraq and Syria – has shown a significant ability to adapt and inflict new terror.  In the coming months, Islamic State will find new ways to endure an American-orchestrated offensive on Raqqa. It will try to take advantage of the change in U.S. administration. And once he’s in office, Trump will discover that fighting and containing Islamic State inevitably means wading into Syria’s complicated war.  politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: commentary trump ca fight islamic state without wading syria warbler course presidential campaign donald trump changed mind many issues but consistent one foreign policy question wants end american support syrian opposition groups fighting basal regime trump argues united states expand efforts fighting islamic state instead i opposite view many people regarding syria trump told wall street journal first interview white house my attitude fighting syria syria fighting isis get rid isis russia totally aligned syria iran becoming powerful us aligned syria now backing rebels syria idea people even trump goes ahead threat cut aid syrian rebels fighting assad regime especially supported covert cia program provides training missiles face another major test syria policy soon inaugurated the united states supporting two military campaigns simultaneously syria one assad government islamic state trump made clear view fight assad priority but trump continue separate pentagon support training program syrian democratic forces coalition rebel groups leading ground offensive oust islamic state city aqua capital caliphate that campaign started mobilization rebels encircle aqua cut sides deny islamic state ability resupply weapons fighters the battle push jihadists aqua could take months if filters fledgling trump administration islamic state would safe base would unleash new attacks syria iraq west military planners pushed aqua offensive start soon invasion recapture iraq city mosul militants began pentagon officials say fear islamic state operatives including fled mosul offensive use aqua plot attacks western targets there sense urgency sure jihadists top military commander iraq general stephen townland said news conference baghdad but know plot planning emanating trump says wants avoid direct involvement syrian conflict expanded regional proxy war russia iran along allied militias like lebanon hezbollah helping assad consolidate control recapture territory lost rebels jihadist groups assad backers rarely fought directly islamic state controls aqua parts eastern syria turkey saudi arabia qatar united states backing various rebel factions fighting assad allies times islamic state under barack obama administration cia fueled billion year weapons including light arms ammunition missiles syrian rebel groups fighting assad regime deemed moderate officials but rebels forced battlefield alliances jihadists including al qaeda affiliated groups while offensive islamic state aqua began waning days obama administration needs support incoming trump administration bear fruit but aqua operation already alienating american allies especially turkey critical syrian democratic forces the sdf coalition kurdish sunny arab christian turkey rebel groups anchored people protection units known kurdish acronym ypg includes thousands syrian kurdish fighters turkish leaders view ypg syrian kurdish groups allies kurdistan workers party known pkk waged insurgency turkish government since seeking autonomy kurdish areas turkish president recap tayyip erdogan insists washington must allow ypg take leading role expelling islamic state aqua largely sunny arab city during presidential campaign trump argued united states arm help kurdish factions iraq syria i big fan kurdish forces said july if trump follows praise kurds would good news sdf largest militia ypg but office trump would also balance objections allies like turkey erdogan increasingly autocratic president among first top appointments trump named michael flynn retired general former head defense intelligence agency national security adviser flynn worked paid lobbyist prominent turkish businessman expressed strong support erdogan government argued washington sympathetic concerns in late august turkey sent several hundred special forces syria began carrying air strikes help rebel factions allied kara consolidate control territory near border the rebels fought islamic state jihadists occasionally ypg militia in october erdogan said told obama phone call turkey capable ousting islamic state aqua other turkish officials argued campaign retake aqua begin iraqi forces complete offensive islamic state mosul slowed recent weeks but officials keen isolate aqua use syrian forces encircle mainly worries islamic state operatives fleeing mosul plotting new attacks west that concern genuine jihadist group even weakened past year intensive bombing defeats opponents iraq syria shown significant ability adapt inflict new terror in coming months islamic state find new ways endure offensive aqua it try take advantage change administration and office trump discover fighting containing islamic state inevitably means wading syria complicated war politicsnews