Committing US resources to the Syrian conflict was a mistake. It did nothing to alleviate the destruction, it did nothing to promote US national security, nor did it provide long-term benefits in defeating terrorism; the Islamic State might have been significantly reduced, but the ideology is a long way from being defeated.Syria on the Brink: US National Security and a Country in Turmoil is the history of Syria preceding its devastating civil war that began in 2011; the crisis did not form in a vacuum, nor can the situation be analyzed as such. Author Christopher J Hill discusses the role of Western governments in creating the modern states of Syria and Israel, and the conflict that continues to exist between the two. This conflict includes many other countries and non-state actors and has ultimately led to the Syria that has been bogged down as a failed state for many years as well as the terrorist groups that dot the landscape.This failed state is what led to the creation of the Islamic State, not the US's withdrawal from Iraq. Terrorism can be defeated militarily, but its ideology cannot; such groups will perpetuate. Peace will return to Syria, but stability will not last unless an amicable relationship with Israel can be forged. This can only happen with the return of the Golan Heights and it can only happen if the US recognizes its role in undermining the process. This is ultimately what impacts US national security, and promoting it will ultimately require Syria and Israel working together.