In the Middle East, the government has pushed for the development of Canada’s commercial ties to the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf. [...] The third, and by far trickiest, pillar rests on the understanding that IS is not the cause of Iraq and Syria’s problems but a symptom, the consequence of broken political processes. [...] Canada’s Policy to Confront the Islamic State Page 5 by Thomas Juneau May, 2015 Canada’s Policy to Confront the Islamic State the nature of IS – it is an insurgency led by highly-skilled and experienced individuals – it is normal for targets to be rare and progress to be slow. [...] In the case of the mission against IS, it would have been possible for Ottawa to decide that troops were not to go to the frontlines in their advising and assisting role, and were not to direct air strikes. [...] In the absence of a viable political process in both Iraq and Syria, the collapse of IS would most likely lead to the emergence of a new expression of widespread Sunni alienation.