Arab and coalition partners are showing "a great deal of skepticism" about the U.S. strategy to defeat the Islamic State, according to Middle East analyst Fawaz Gerges.
"Everywhere I go, in every Arab television station, and everyone I talk to, say, 'Are the Americans serious about basically defeating the so-called Islamic State?'" Gerges said.
"People are not convinced that the American strategy is comprehensive, is long-term, is decisive."
Gerges said the city of Kobani, Syria, will fall because coalition partners will not provide ethnic Kurds on the Syrian-Turkish border with arms to defend themselves against IS militants.
"American-led strategy is based on the idea you need local forces," Gerges said. "What better of a local force do you have here--the Kurdish citizens who are defending their areas against this particular organization? This is the problem--the problem is the coalition itself, the nature of the coalition, and the lack of really, basically, one particular strategic vision vis-a-vis the so-called Islamic State."