Wars are never won by the air or sea.
Ground troops are the ones who eventually take over power.
Look at Afghanistan as an example.
A huge military presence with NATO and they can’t even secure Kandahar.
They can’t even defeat Taliban tribesmen who only have old rifles and rockets.
Middle eastern army’s are trained differently.
They don’t need all that sophistication that the US is manufacturing and selling and fooling everyone into buying;)
When it comes down to it it is stamina and ability to work in that terrain and most importantly and this is something NATO have no clue about as yet. Understanding and knowing your enemy.
Afghanistan will never be won by the US and its allies. Alexander the Great couldn’t do it.
General Mc Crystal is no Alexander the Great.
Soldiers dying for nothing.
oh and you might as well to add Turkey to the Egypt and Syria ‘bad boys’. 
Turkey and Egypt recently got Netanyahu to cancel his trip to Washington when they decided to confront him about his nuclear arsenal.