In the ongoing Syrian Civil War, one constant has been the Free Syrian Army’s downward trajectory as a rebel faction of consequence. The primary of the US-backed “moderate” rebel groups has steadily lost influence to bolder Islamist factions for years.
Now, with ISIS seizing massive portions of Syria and Iraq and seemingly on the cusp of forming a new nation, the FSA is falling apart at the seams, with no territory to speak of and many of its fighters on the way out the door, either quitting the rebellion outright or to join the more successful ISIS.
FSA leaders have long complained about the US aid not being aggressive enough, and now, as President Obama looks to escalate, they’re complaining it’s simply too late.
That doesn’t seem to be stalling the administration, but it should, as the defections to more extreme rebel factions mean those “carefully vetted” fighters are going to be bringing their US provided weapons and cash straight to the harshest militants on the planet.
And Obama is still in denial. Their goal is to kill two birds with one stone, Assad gone, Iran and Hezbollah will be ripe for the picking.
"…those “carefully vetted” fighters are going to be bringing their US provided weapons and cash straight to the harshest militants on the planet…"
Well, duh?!?!? But that won't deter McCrazy and Grahamcrackers from demanding more and more lethal US taxpayer provided weaponry be sent to these "moderates" – despite their rapid flipping of allegiances.
Obama and USA are paying now for their support to Assad opposition
If this was a plan it seems like a solid one. Fill Syria to the breaking point with lethal weapons and training, then it pops like a balloon on its weakest side into Iraq. Congress and the people refused to go to war with Syria before, but what now? The president has already decided to use War Powers vested in him by Congress. This was not a big surprise everyone has been talking about the Syria situation resulting in regional destabilization. Now ISIS may attempt to widen the conflict by drawing the United States into kinetic conflict with Asad. It is impossible for AQ to persistently attack us on our homeland so it has always been their strategy to sucker the US into the Middle East where they can bleed the bank.
So let Israel get dragged into the war and make any US support dependent upon their meeting certain 'requirements', such as, oh, immediate dismantling of settlements and relocation of citizens, Palestinian independence, full disclosure of their nuclear weapons program and being a signatory to all applicable inspection and control protocols…. oh the list goes on and on. What was it that Rahm Emanuel said? "Never let a crisis go to waste". Sauce for the goose, Washington- sauce for the goose.