Publication

This paper contends that Russian military intervention in Syria may possibly be reinforced by additional troops from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The author contends one reason for this results from the point that the SCO has achieved its first core mission from its July 2015 summit - that of admitting India and Pakistan as full members - meaning it can concentrate on its second of how to counter the so-called Islamic State and Islamic extremism within SCO countries. The author also outlines 1) how China may be especially compelled to deploy troops to Syria following the Chinese Uyghur terrorist group Turkistan Islamic Party’s capture of a Syrian airbase; 2) the threat jihadi forces in Syria and other countries pose to other SCO members; and 3) what action SCO members may take to respond to the terrorist threat emerging from Syria.