A new report from defense analysts IHS Jane’s provided some of the first recent estimates of the size of Syria’s rebellion, and more importantly the groups that make it up.
They put the overall rebel fighters at 100,000 strong, but that is made up of some 1,000 different factions. Al-Qaeda directly commands the loyalty of around 10,000 of those fighters.
Another 30,000 to 35,000 of the rebels are “jihadists” from pro-al-Qaeda factions that aren’t explicitly run by the group, and still 30,000 more represent various Islamist factions of a somewhat more moderate character. What’s left is the secularist component, a pretty small minority in the grand scheme of things, made doubly so by the fact that the al-Qaeda run forces like Jabhat al-Nusra have been dramatically more formidable in fighting.
Jihadists have been the most active portion of the rebellion, attacking ethnic Kurds and religious minorities nationwide, including three more Alawite villages sacked today in Homs Province.
It is in this environment that the Syrian National Coalition’s new prime minister, Ahmad Tumeh, will be taking the helm. A moderate Islamist himself, Tumeh is calling for a confrontation of al-Qaeda and the other more jihadist factions in the rebellion. That may make the US happy, but its a fight that the SNC’s own faction seems unlikely to be able to win.
It’s also a fight al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri seems resigned to, warning his factions and those allied with them not to associate with the secularists or form serious alliances with them. In the past this was less a concern, but with the “rebellion” tearing itself apart at the seams, it seems the various factions will be committing more and more of their forces to fighting each other, rather than the Assad government.
They did not just "sack" Alawite villages. And not just in last few days, but consistently last two years. And Christians, and Kurds. Sacking means beheading, killing with all sorts of creative instruments. A nun from Maaloula has reported such sacking of Alawite village nearby, with the inabitants heads being chopped off, and one girl was dismembered by a saw. The list of attrocities does not end, and for the past two years we have been watching them butcher Syrian people. And we talk of Assad… Assad is the only thing that stands between the poor people and the disguisting psychopaths we call rebels. Even though a Belgian reporter that was kidnapped by the "Free" Syrian Army literally overheard the conversation of one of the comanders — whom he met as he was kidnapped — with a native English speaker, about a plan to conduct an attack with chemical weapons — the information is kept out of western media sources. How much longer can we lie?
Half? As far as the numbers go, it is more like 75% or more! What difference does it make who do they report to? It is what they do that counts. They kill Alawites and Christians. They kill fellow Sunni unless they accept "real" religion, according to them. They take orders from Saudi Arabial, or whoever finances them. SECULAR? Jane's has got to be KIDDING. The so called Free Syrian Army, supposedly secular, is as we speak cleansing the Christian town of Maaloula, forcing people to convert or else… These "secular" forces are fighting side by side with the Al-Qaeda faction — right in front of our noses, and for all to see in Maaloula! Flying black flag on the top of the hill from where they fire on anyone that moves. Fighting Assad? Not they. They fight population to attrition. Some will be killed, other converted, other run away. Good plan — and we about Assad and his army. God bless their army for trying to keep the population safe from savages.
The Syrian war is about having your opportunity taking what you can. The political part of the opportunism is USG strategic interest, the economic part of it when and if Saudis jihadist and all other thieves and barbarians can win the Syrian war where they will share the profit with Halliburton, BP and other draconian economic systems. The religious part of the Syrian war are those fundemantalist-opportunist whom are feed by saudis and UAE looking to divert Syria as a civilized country into a regional religious sanctuary wanting to confront the sheia Muslims and all other religions exist in Syria, Iran, Iraq and in Lebanon, dividing the unity among people all over the Middle East which is the Saudis, UAE the USG and EU ideas. Although non of the above achieved by any of these jihadist or the Saudis and UAE barbarians, yet they have managed to destroy the country thanks to Hillary Clinton and Obama using what was Bush regimes in, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. What Hillary nor Obama didn't count on was the matters of the Syrian people resistance and these jihadist turned out to be nothing but group of thieves from all over taking their shar of destroying Syria yet being defeated for what Saudis and UAE pays them. Now a days you see advertising all over Europe and USA Fly Emirats, you fly this airline you pay for jihadist fighting the Syrian people. Demand from your senators to demand for oil companies to explain the recent jacked up gas prices, there are no shortages of oil, nor there is any problem with production distribution anywhere, so, why the high prices?
Sounds a lot like the behavior of our own dearly unloved Congress and its relationship with the Administration to me. Just not as much violence.
Any chance the Russians could come and sort them out when they're finished in Syria?
The emphasis on 'jihadists' and 'islamists' is rather limited. To some extent it reflects western interests and preoccupation with islam: who is on our side (or 'moderates' to use the codeword)? Ok, that's a valid angle alright.
From another angle you want to know who's indigeneous and to some extent representative of the population and who is foreign. That would acknowledge archconservative islamist fundamentalists as native. Often 'fundamentalist' is equated with 'not representative' because inside of every middleeasterner there's supposed to be a liberal democrat who is just waiting to come out.
What is Jihadist,? i cant find it in dictionary how different are they to islam?
And they've just had 10 years of practice in Iraq, so much for destroying "safe havens", the US is creating environments where terrorists can hone their craft.
But…but…the senior Senator from Arizona assures us that the majority of the"rebels" are moderates!! He can't be wrong because he has all the answers…I mean, he plays poker instead of paying attention while we pay his salary…so he must know everything.
So using the Spanish 1936-39 model, the jihadis fill the Stalinist role. Quite nicely, actually.
As opposed to Franco's Nazi-backed Nationalist forces? There were some terrible atrocities committed by both sides in that civil war, too, but I tend to give the Republicans- Soviet advisors and all- a slight edge on the moral high ground. Sadly, judging the conduct of the Spanish Civil War- like the present day Syrian Civil War- is almost purely a matter of perspective. Nationalist or Republican/ Syrian or Rebel- pick your flavor and go with it.
My heart for Spain is forever with Barcelona and the CNT.
The *only* significant part of the original Jane’s article, as cited in the Telegraph, is this:
“Because of the Islamist make up of such a large
proportion of the opposition, the fear is that if the
West doesn’t play its cards right, it will end up
pushing these people away from the people we
are backing,” he said. “If the West looks as
though it is not interested in removing Assad,
moderate Islamists are also likely to be pushed
further towards extremists.”
So, basically, it’s a directed propaganda exercise meant to increase “support” for the poor “secular” cannibal headhunter “rebels” and overthrow Assad, or else they’ll become evil jihadist rebels.
That’s it.
Half of them are still idiot, the other half are still jihadist and the other half belong to Neo religious fascism trained and paid by Saudis.