Syrian Rebels Call for More US Attacks

Declare Strikes a 'Correct Starting Point' for Imposing a Solution

Syrian rebels were largely supportive of last night’s US attack on Syria, with the Free Syrian Army declaring it a “correct starting point” that would lead to a “just political solution,” but only if US forces keep attacking Syrian military targets going forward.

The FSA statement insisted that the United States is responsible for Syria now, and that this responsibility compels them to keep attacking with an eye toward imposing regime change, which naturally would end with the installation of the rebels as the new government.

Since the rebels have been losing ground for years, they’ve long held out hope that the US would at some point invade Syria, remove the government from power, and put them in their place. Though US officials appear unclear on what they intend to do, the rebels see an opening to push for more war.

Other rebels warned that last night’s attack would have “no meaning” on its own,  with one rebel figure insisting that there are 26 airbases in Syria that need to be attacked the same way as last night’s, adding that the US must stop Syria from carrying out any more airstrikes throughout the war.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.