Western obsession with Islamic State opened the door for Iranian aggression (Opinion)

[TomSea]

Western obsession with Islamic State opened the door for Iranian aggression
Joshua Block, opinion contributor

Recently, we saw the inherent danger of a permanent Iranian presence in Syria. Iran launched its first direct military operation against Israel, dispatching a drone from the Tiyas Airbase in Syria's central Homs region. The Israelis used an Apache helicopter to intercept and destroy the drone, then sent eight fighter jets to destroy the Iranian command center. One of the Israeli F-16s was abandoned by its pilots over Israel and Syrian anti-aircraft fire reached Israeli territory, triggering extended emergency activities in Israel's northern communities.

In a dangerous escalation, Iran tested Israel’s red lines in preparation for a new war on Israel’s northern front — a question of “when,” not “if”— a development that the Israeli government repeatedly has warned it will not tolerate. The government in Jerusalem has demanded time and again that any agreement mediated by world powers to end the civil war in Syria must include a specific stipulation preventing Iranian-backed forces from establishing a permanent military presence along the border.

Read more at: http://thehill.com/opinion/international/374213-western-obsession-with-islamic-state-opened-the-door-for-iranian?utm_content=buffer85aba&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.WohYT4umuMY.twitter