The fight against militants of the Islamic State group may have an unintended consequence: further widening the Shia-Sunni divide.

Aware of this possibility, the United States has formed a coalition of Middle Eastern nations to combat IS, which includes key states like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and the only Arab Sha majority country of Iraq.

The United States also has distanced itself from the Syrian government, which is headed by a leader strongly opposed by Syrian Sunnis, President Bashar al-Assad.

Also read: Obama spells out strategy for combating IS militants

Instead of helping the Syrian government to eliminate the Sunni-dominate IS, the United States wants to raise a force of moderate Sunni opposition fighters to replace the militants.

The purpose behind this exercise is to convince the Syrian Sunnis that the proposed US-led military offensive is being launched only to eliminate IS. There is no plan to subdue the country’s largest sectarian group, the Sunnis.

By including Iraq, the United States is also trying to convince the dominant Alawite minority that their interests will also be protected.

If the United States succeeds in achieving its targets, the plan will have a very positive impact on the entire region.

The Syrian people will be the immediate beneficiary of this success, as it would allow them to live peacefully in a multi-sect state where