The UN Special Envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi’s goal of a ceasefire and negotiations rests on the assumption that the rebels and regime can be brought together at a negotiating table, something that seems a herculean task.
But even getting the rebels to talk to the other rebels is a challenge.
That’s because over a year into the Syrian Civil War, with fighting escalating all the time, the rebel factions all remain deeply divided from one another, with the Islamist factions having no use for the military defectors, and vice versa.
Western nations promising weapons to the rebels have struggled to cope with the myriad of different groups, each of which believes itself to be the “real” leadership of the rebel movement. They have been withholding aid in an attempt to convince the various groups to come together and figure something out.
But can they come together into a rebel coalition? In many ways the rebel factions have less common ground with each other than with the Assad government, and it is hard to envision the military defectors from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) joining together with the al-Qaeda linked rebel factions reliant on foreign fighters, which have an eye on turning Syria into a theocracy.
I don't think Turkey is 'allegedly' "withholding" arms in hopes for "military defectors from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) joining together with the al-Qaeda rebel factions reliant on foreign fighters" .
I've said this all along: there are no "2 sides" in this Syria 'conflict'. In addition to the factious military component: there is no unified political leadership which universally represents, and speaks for, the "rebels" either–or even close. There is no one Assad could even theoretically turn the Nation of Syria over to, even if he wanted to do so, in order to end this 'conflict'…
The entire conversation concerning the Syria "Conflict" in the lame-stream (and elsewhere) is absurd…
This is just another incident which underscores the fact these people (the 'armed opposition') for the most part don't want "freedom", they want "control"….
I would have thought this would be obvious…apparently it was not to many…
Turkey among other is supporting terrorism stationed in turkey waiting for deployment into Syrian war, so is Sweden, so is France an England and so Germany they all have their hand full with weapon shipment of other form of support to these barbarians. This is not the first time nor supporting these barbarians started yesterday nor the weapon shipment from turkey just started they, NATO, us, Saudis, turkey, UAE and others have and will continue these barbarians with weapon. These counteris are bound by their promises to Saudis feudal regime so as to UAE, ask Hillary Clinton what did she promised these regimes to start the new problem in Middle East.
The fractious nature of the Asad opponents really should not come as a surprise. The failure of Obama's policy is not just his imitation of Bush's regime change, but the failure to believe that the collapse of the secular dictatorship will bring a "democratic" or "Western" ally to our ranks. A cursory review of Syria's history would find a purposeful French administration encouraging and fostering ethnic, sectarian and geographic divisions for a quarter century. Since independence, Syria was notable for the local rivalries and government upheavals. Saudi Arabia as well as Jordan and Turkey played their roles in interfering with Syrian politics decades before the Asads. Until Hafez al-Asad became dictator, Syria was battleground for others–including the US. Now, with the collapse of the central government, Syria's return to factions and divisions should not be surprising. Territorial unity will come only from the use of force–no democracy. The lowest common denominator–religion–will turn it into a haven for radicalism–no US friend.
One hopes that Syria can somehow overcome the desecration of their country by the West and its proxies. There is too much at stake for Syrians, including their many minorities, and this means not only their security and national sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also their economic future which would be much brighter if the Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline and Syria's offshore natural gas reserves could be developed. This is something neither the US, NATO, the Saudis and GCC, or Turkey (which wants to be the exclusive energy hub of the area) can tolerate. Add to that ours and NATO's desire to eliminate or weaken Russian presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, ours and Israel's desire to weaken Iran and Hezbollah, and Israel's desire to annex the Golan and seize valuable water resources in Lebanon, and, unfortunately you have an explanation as to why the US has violated Syria's sovereignty and rights under international law, and been so cavalier about facilitating and committing another Middle East war crime.
This "civil war" in Syria is nothing more than a false construct of a new Western imperialism, almost entirely made up of foreign mercenary terrorists funded, trained, and militarily equipped by outsiders with divergent agendas except one — destabilizing and overthrowing the secular Assad regime. The FSA isn't fighting for freedom, and isn't fighting for the Syrian people. The recent national referendum for a new Syrian constitution, along with Assad's approval of that process & result removed virtually all internal violent internal strife.
This "civil war" is an attempt to remove Iran's most significant regional ally in preparation for the destruction of the Islamic Republic of Iran. That so many countries are involved in this false flag terrorism does not validate their involvement regarding international law, but only serves to illustrate that the UN is now as worthless as the defunct League of Nations. Countries acting like a pack of wolves does nothing for the concept of the rule of law, nor for prospects of avoiding a new global conflict. World War 3 is now inevitable, with only the start date in question. The international bankster cabal who have a stranglehold on the economic throat of much of the world will be the only winner, along with their New World Order agenda.
Way to airbrush the Syrians out of their own revolution!
I suppose you think the Algerian uprising was just Nasser stirring up trouble, or that Vietnam was all about Soviet and Chinese meddling, or that the insurgency in Iraq was merely Iran and Syria's doing. Or better yet, I guess the 1982 uprising in Syria was also a foreign plot?
There certainly is a foreign element in Syria's war, but don't insult the Syrian Sunnis by pretending that they don't actually resent 40 years of Alawite rule.