Intel: Why US rivalry with Russia in Syria isn’t going away

While the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State looks to wrap up the battle in Syria and push a UN-backed settlement, military officials say the war-torn country has become a key battleground in “great power competition” with Russia.

Why it matters: Conflict between the United States and Russia will shape how Syria is put back together after the end of its seven-year civil war. “Great power competition was an objective by Russia,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Leah Lauderback, who served as director of intelligence for Operation Inherent Resolve until June, said at this week’s US Army conference in Washington. “They saw us as a peer, and they wanted to take advantage in any way that they could.”