President-elect Donald Trump made much of expecting to end the CIA program arming Syrian rebel groups after his election, noting that the US doesn’t really know who a lot of these groups are. The move breaks with years of US policy in Syria, which sought to keep the rebellion going, though also sought to keep them from actually winning the war.
Trump’s shift has a lot of detractors in the existing administration, as well as among Republican hawks, but recent precipitous losses by Syrian rebel groups, particularly the Nusra Front-dominated rebels in Aleppo, are likely to make this shift a lot more smooth.
As far back as 2014, President Obama was admitting that arming the “moderate” rebels in Syria to be a real difference maker was always “a fantasy,” but he continued to plan through to the end of his term. The “moderate” rebels have long since been supplanted by ISIS and al-Qaeda forces, and while the CIA has kept the arms flowing irrespective of who ends up with them, the program’s failure is readily apparent.
Even in Aleppo, where al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front was doing a lot of the heavy lifting, the rebels are losing decisively, potentially ending nearly five years of fighting over the city. With the rebellion heading for a probable outright defeat, Trump may have an easier time convincing opponents that the shift in policy is simply a recognition of the inevitable.
There are a number of groups in Aleppo that have a long history of attrocities. Prime example Al-Zinka group known for kidnapping children. Jaish Al-Islam and Army of Conquest are other. There are several remnants of Free Syria Army as well. Jaish Al-Islam was financed by Saudi Arabia, and the problem has just arisen as hundreds of them are trying to leave. Reportedly they are arrested, but as their whereabouts are not known, nothing is really clear. Al-Nusra has been reinventing last few dsys into the Army of Aleppo, etc. Al-Nusra is by all appearances the hard core group and it is by all the last some accounts a collection of high ranking international terrorist operatives. Considering how deeply some countries are involved in supporting “rebels” in Syria — the identification of such people may prove difficult for some. Bosnia is one such place with extensive Saudi ties and well known locations of Salafi cults. Armed. Syrian “rebels”‘are connected to Kosovo, R&R location for “rebels” Albania is a dark hole of military airports that the country does not control. The problem for those that continue sticking sith the narrative of “good”. terrorists is as folliws: all these groups have a history of attrocities in Syria WELL BEFORE a new group, ISIS burst on the scene from Iraq. The narrative since that time suddenly started to shift to ISIS as the only terrorists, and all others that terrorized Syrians for years prior to the birth of ISIS — were suddenly reinvented as “rebels”. However the list of attrocities is long, and the crimes these groups committed are living in memory of population. Al-Nusra core will try to cut a deal in order to prevent the identification of their international operatives. But then some countries will have to claim them — it is more likely that a proxy may have to take them.
That may be the only solution to avoid getting captured by Syria. Based on what is happening already with Free Syria Army working under umbrella of Turkish army — that may be a working model for getting Al-Qaeda out. It is amazing how much emoting has been happening, how much tears shed — to defend bloodthirsty terrorists. Whatever the narrative — it is lost in the brutality of terrorists shelling civilians in Western Aleppo, shelling fleeing civians, and hsing them as hostages. Execution of civilians is increasing as the situation is getting more difficult. What is very troubling is the fact that no Western Countries called on terrorist of Aleppo to let civilians go. Ending the siege of Aleppo will not solve the spread of Islamic cults around the world. That will require a strong approach — and end of every form of State sponsored “rebels” or “revolutionaries”, including a strong arms control and sales among states only. The proliferation is fueling the rise of groups. Trump will have a tough task ahead.
The US support has been focused on the Kurds. That is a huge problem, because they are opposed by both Iraq and Turkey.
US policy has been to support the enemies of our friends, and to choose “both” when choosing sides and choosing enemies. In Iraq we want to support both Sunnis and Shiites, and in Syria we want to fight both the government and the terrorists who are fighting.
This sort of nutty thinking is the result of Washington DC navel gazing, focused on internal demands in the capital of the Empire instead of the reality out in the world where things are happening. It is a recipe for defeat, and has been for every country in the past that indulged in such self regard instead of reality.
Washington and the predatory empire that controls that city should be defeated.