As we enter year 4 of the Syria crisis, headlines coming out of the region are no longer limited to the violence within Syria, but to the increasing spread of violence across Syria's borders, especially into Lebanon and Iraq. Of great concern is the proliferation of al-Qaeda affiliates and splinter groups and the increasing sectarian rhetoric fueling the increased violence that offers new opportunities for al-Qaeda to gain footholds in local communities. It opens the door for an Iranian-sponsored terrorist network to justify their presence as the protector of the region's Shias, while bolstering the Assad regime and antagonizing Arab States. The spillover from Syria is dangerous and troubling; the region is becoming increasingly unstable, increasingly violent, and increasingly sectarian.