Syrian-Aust leaders split over air strikes

Syrian Australian leaders are divided about whether Australia should join the US in targeting Islamic State with air strikes over Syria.

A decision on whether Australia will expand its air strike operations to Islamic State targets in Syria is expected to be made next week.

The Australian Syrian Association's Victoria chapter says the government should spend money on supplying the Free Syrian Army with weapons so they can "do the job themselves".

ASA Victorian spokesman, Dr Said Ajlouni, said that coalition forces led by the US would lack precision in their air strikes and risked destroying more Syrian infrastructure.

"We would love for ISIS to be finished in any way," Dr Ajlouni told AAP.

"How do we finish them? In my view, providing the Free Syrian Army with better weapons to fight."

He said bombing Syria would be extremely costly, and "not that fruitful".

In contrast, the Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand says the local army has no chance of defeating the violent extremist group.

"ISIS is becoming like a cancer not only in Syria and Iraq, but it's most likely going to spread to all countries," Mor Malatius Malki told AAP.

"That's why I think Australia is very wise to join in (the) strike."

Lowy Institute Middle East expert Rodger Shanahan said it would be dangerous to give weapons to another group not knowing how they would be used.

But his main concern was that the Australian government did not have a compelling argument.

"The Defence Minister has said, `listen we're going to engage ISIS but we're not becoming involved in the Syrian Civil War'

"The government has to articulate how it can bomb ISIS targets without having a net positive military outcome.

"The reality is, every military operation has second order effects."

Prof Shanahan said Australia's military contribution would be minimal because it has so few aircraft, which begs the question: "If we're not contributing much, why are we doing this?"