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It is no exaggeration to say that Syria holds the key for nearly all of America's foreign policy goals in the Middle East. As Syria goes, so goes the region.

Syria is geographically and politically in the middle of the Middle East.

The presence of jihadis in Syria should be no surprise.

Syria's population is 74% Sunni Muslim.

Even the majority of the Sunnis have grown tired of foreign terrorists operating in Iraq.

For many foreign fighters, the jihad in Iraq and Syria is a commuter war.

I think Syria is in a particularly sensitive geopolitical position in terms of the politics of the Middle East.

Indeed, by refusing to tackle Assad's brutality, we may actively alienate more of the Sunni population, driving them towards ISIS.

The Salafists, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Al Qaeda in Iraq are the major forces driving the insurgency in Syria.

If ISIL were to substantially increase the priority it places on attacking the West rather than fighting to maintain and expand territorial control, then the group's access to radicalized Westerners who have fought in Syria and Iraq would provide a pool of operatives who potentially have access to the United States and other Western countries.