The US and its Arab coalition carried out airstrikes using Tomahawk missiles and F-22 fighter jets against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria early Tuesday. US President Barack Obama has claimed that the crackdown on the IS will continue until the end of his term.

The Obama administration did not seek UN approval for the airstrikes. The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also claimed that the airstrikes were not conducted with the permission of the Syrian government.

There are three influential forces in Syria now: government forces, the Western-backed opposition and the IS, among which government forces are the strongest. The US is combating the IS, but it only joins hands with the opposition and meanwhile continues to label the Assad government as an authoritarian regime and suppress it.

Therefore, the military campaign in Syria will be difficult. No matter how much external support the US has gained, it has given up the chance to unite as many forces as possible from within Syria. US hostility against the Assad government is one of the reasons for the surge in IS militancy. Washington at present has neither the power nor the courage to change this attitude.

It will be easier for the US to eradicate the IS if it cooperates with the Syrian government forces. However, at such a critical moment, Washington fails to realize who the biggest enemy is from the mess it creates.

Nonetheless, the IS is the enemy of the world. The positive influences of strikes against it are obvious. But it is not certain whether Washington can avoid escalating confrontation with the Assad government during this "anti-terror" war.

Obama has warned Syria not to "disturb" the US fighters. His latest tough speech shut the door once again on cooperation with the Assad regime. Obama openly vowed not to drag the US troops into the battlefield of the Middle East. Merely carrying out airstrikes could reduce the risks facing the US, but will increase the chances of survival of the IS.

China should take a "no objection" attitude toward the US airstrikes. But it should simultaneously encourage the US to conduct operations while remaining respectful of Syrian sovereignty and in accordance with the UN Charter. If the US also targets Syrian government troops in the military campaign, China should adjust its attitude accordingly.

With two years left to go in his second term, Obama has shown caution in fighting against the IS. Whether the crackdown will trigger another war is a determining factor to judge Obama's performance. If Obama can withstand pressure from US hawks, he will be remembered by the public.

The IS is bloody and brutal. It's said to be more attractive to extremists than Al Qaeda. The campaign to wipe out the IS shouldn't become a hotbed for another more radical terrorist organization.

It's the expectation of the international community.