Oh Crap, Syria Just Became a Three-Way War

I just came across this article and just wanted to post it because it serves as further confirmation that the majority of Americans were correct in their assessment that Syria is too chaotic for us to get involved in, that there's no "good guy" and we risk making things much worse over there by taking action.

Islamist rebels declare war on non-Islamist rebels, seize border town

On Sept. 12, Islamic rebels in Syria declared war … on their fellow rebels. Two Al Qaeda-linked extremist rebel groups—Al Nusrah and the Islamic State of Iraq and Al Sham, a.k.a. ISIS—followed up their declaration with an attack on the main Free Syrian Army.

The two-year-old Syrian civil war is now officially a three-way fight, pitting the regime of Pres. Bashar Al Assad versus the FSA versus the Islamists.

In other words, an unholy mess.

On Sept. 18 extremist forces attacked the moderate rebels in Azaz, on the outskirts of Aleppo in northern Syria. Details on the fighting have been provided by the Syrian Support Group, a U.S.-based organization that is certified by the State Department to provide non-lethal aid to the FSA.

The article goes on to discuss how humanitarian aid that had been going into Syria through the Turkish border has been halted, Turkey is essentially being forced to close its border to fleeing refugees and considering that Turkish forces shot down a Syrian helicopter last week, I'm worried Turkey may be the 1st border country to get involved with military action... whether they wanted to or not.

Kind of depressing. There are too many hot heads trying to gain power in that area. S&F

I'd honestly expected the Jihadi scum to have more intelligence than this. It's as stupid a move as they could ever make for their own interests ...but Hey THANK YOU I say to them all. Every last hateful little troll among them.

NOW we can clearly see who is legitimate Syrian trying for a better nation...and who is Jihadi looking to recreate the 7th and 8th centuries in the modern world.

Now? I wouldn't necessarily mind seeing the covert aid 100% directed to the SYRIAN side of the Free Syrian Army to absolutely and mercilessly CRUSH the Jihadi into bloody scum in the dirt.

Then..perhaps..it won't be such a wild concept to see Assad move on to other things. It won't be wild eyed fanatic murderers taking his place. I'd actually call this a very GOOD development.

If the Jihadis win...Our support for the FSA becomes so criminal, even this President cannot defend it without almost outright violating his own Oath to the Office. If the Jihadis lose? Hell...it solves 90% of the conflict for morality and ethics to any of this, IMO.

reply to post by Kali74

The two-year-old Syrian civil war is now officially a three-way fight, pitting the regime of Pres. Bashar Al Assad versus the FSA versus the Islamists.

Looks like the arabs of 'the street' are beginning to step up to the Islamists, could be uglier but already ugly anyway.

Better they handle it themselves than have the western world interfere yet again. Let's hope that the Obama 'arms for terrorists' deal picked the right ones and that they win. Lots of 'ifs' in there, too many for my taste.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Unless he is assassinated, short of elections Assad isn't going anywhere Russia has made sure of that.

reply to post by all2human


As things stand for the situation right now? Good. Assad staying healthy and in power is the absolute best thing that whole region could hope for. While the Jihadi are the likely replacement by force and anything else they need to do so that happens? Anything to keep the central Syrian government stable one more day is one more day the world buys of relative peace and stability.

As I said..it's only IF/When the Jihadi are not the leading contenders to run Syria into the Dark Ages, that Assad leaving becomes a good idea ...and Russian representatives have also said publicly and multiple times, they didn't argue Assad's departure in concept, but the practice we were seeking was going to happen over their dead bodies, figuratively if not literally. As it should be.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

NOW we can clearly see who is legitimate Syrian trying for a better nation...and who is Jihadi looking to recreate the 7th and 8th centuries in the modern world.

Not really, there are still many secular rebels who joined with jihadists because they ran out of money and equipment, and frankly couldn't stand against government forces on their own and the jihadists have a lot more funds at their disposal. Granted that's a bed they made all on their own, my thinking as an outsider and someone that can't possibly have any idea what it is like over there, is that secular rebels probably would have been better off waiting and seeing how Assad held to his promise to open up elections in 2014, and having spent the meantime preparing for a revolution if needed.

I'm thinking it's more than a three way war.
And there will be no end to it.

Syrian gov't vs the Jihadi's.
Syrian gov't vs the Syrian Liberated Army.
Jihadi's vs Syiran Gov't
Jihadi's vs Syrian Liberated Army (because they are secular).
Syrian Liberated Army vs Syrian Gov't.
Syrian Liberated Army vs Jihadis (because they are whackadoo Sharia extremists)
Saudi Arabia vs Syrian gov't. (covert)
Saudi Arabia vs. Jihadis (but not until the Syrian Gov't is overthrown).
Syrian Gov't vs Saudi Arabia. (covert)
Qatar vs Syrian Gov't. (covert)
Syrian Gov't vs Qatar (covert)
Qatar vs Jihadis (but not until the Syrian Gov't is overthrown).
Egypt vs Syrian Gov't. (semi covert)
Egypt vs Syrian Liberated Army (but not until the Syrian Gov't is overthrown).
Iran vs Syrian Liberated Army
Syrian Liberated Army vs Iran
Iran vs Egypt (covert in Syria because Iran supports Syrian Govt)
Egypt vs Iran (covert in Syria because Iran supports Syrian Govt)
Iran vs Saudi Arabia (covert)
Saudi Arabia vs Iran (covert)
Iran vs Qatar (covert)
Qatar vs Iran (covert)
Russia vs Jihadis
Jihadis vs Russia
Russia vs Syrian Liberated Army
Syrian Liberated Army vs Russia
Russia vs Saudi Arabia (covert)
Saud Arabia vs Russia (covert)
Russia vs Qatar (covert)
Qatar vs Russia (covert)
Russia vs Egypt (covert)
Egypt vs Russia (covert)

Turkey is very close to being dragged in.
Obama is very close to tossing the USA into this mess.

The only thing that could bring all this to a stop ... (temporarily) ... would be for Israel to launch a strike against Iran or Lebanon. Then all eyes would fall on Israel and all those fighting factions would band together and slap the snot out of Israel. They all hate Israel. So far, Israel is being smart. It's sitting very still and being very quiet. Like a mouse in the shadows in the corner of the room.

reply to post by Kali74


Kali, the Jihadis outright kill secular people. Period. They give them a chance. ONE chance to convert once they have grown tired of tolerating someone. If you do not convert, you die. Right there. Right then. No appeal and no one to cry to. Just a God above to take a last prayer...if they allow you that much time to consider anything. When the orange jumpsuit comes out.....just fight to the death to escape. At least you'll die for something half way logical then.

So, while some secular forces may...before the intra-FSA war broke out, haven been among the radical Jihadis? They sure as hell aren't anymore ..or won't be much longer AT all.

It's funny (not in a humorous way) but I've had this reconfirmed by almost every Muslim I've talked to in asking for how it's viewed among the fanatics. A Christian or Jew is actually seen as BETTER and MORE TOLERABLE than a "poor" Muslim or a converted Muslim away from the Faith.

They see the other Abrahamic Faiths as at least sharing as 'People of the Book", as I've heard it called. Bad Muslims? Well...they can't even be called ignorant, apparently. SInce they had their chance to follow the right path in the eyes of a Jihadi. They are just dogs to be put down hard and as they are found.

That's the philosophy I've come to know of the Jihadi from my reading, research and efforts to learn all I can about our sworn enemy. If not OUR enemy? We absolutely are THEIR enemy. No question there.

reply to post by FlyersFan


You are right, except for the fact that I think Israel would (once again) win any armed conflict, even if it was all the Arab and Persian nations against them. Since they would lack unity of force and leadership, the combined nations would not stand a chance.

There are no armies that compare to the Israeli in training, moral and equipment in the region. Period.

One of the keys to understanding the Mid east is to research it's history of tribalism and culture with all its alliances, intrigues, conspiracies and revenge. The animosity between different groups goes far beyond religion and politics.


www.al-monitor.com...

reply to post by Kali74


This was already expected. The secular rebels have been claiming for a while now that they knew they would have to fight the terrorist extremists after the fall of the Assad regime. It looks like they decided to start early now that they realize they're not getting the help they expected and the extremists are only dragging them down at this point. Unfortunately, this will be to Assad's advantage.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Oh I have no illusion of what the Jihadis are after. Radical Fundamentalism is a horrible thing imo, regardless of the religion the zealot claims. I also know that people are fully capable of adopting something in name only to either save their ass or to achieve a goal.

reply to post by Kali74


Now you are right about that.... "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" seems to be the running Mantra over there, after religious studies are done anyway... I mean, it governs everything, it seems. Sadly, it's come to define OUR policy too. Unforgivable on that....and a disaster in the making, to be sure.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


To me there is not much more 'sacred' than separation of religion from government. Religion or spirituality is much too personal a thing to be governed or to govern by. It's like taste buds. It's the same as shooting me dead because I love artichokes but to you they're disgusting... that's how silly it all is my mind. It's so sad, maybe the greatest tragedy of humanity, that so much murder and control is done in the name of loving or obeying God.

reply to post by Kali74


Wow, that turned it up a notch!
Remember the bad days of Iraq? the letters entire neighborhoods got demanding the people leave or be tortured and murdered in 48hrs?.. then bodies appearing in the morning mist floating in rivers!
Truck bombs in neighborhood districts?
midnight checkpoints and execution squads...
that's gunna start coming back now the war has spread to all jihadists in the gulf area!

Assad just got dropped a hornets nest in his lap...

This is a fabricated event, the government is trying to spin this so that our support for the FSA doesn't seem like we are supporting al qaeda, this is just pure posturing. How many news sources are indicating this even happened? And who controls those news sources?

Darolla
This is a fabricated event, the government is trying to spin this so that our support for the FSA doesn't seem like we are supporting al qaeda, this is just pure posturing. How many news sources are indicating this even happened? And who controls those news sources?

Considering that from the beginning there have been known factions of rebels, no... it is not made up to make the US look like we aren't supporting Al Qaeda, the article only serves as confirmation that by attacking the Syrian government we by default (in the least) end up supporting terrorists.

Quote from article dated July 17, 2013 from the NY Times...

In recent weeks, rebel groups have been killing one another with increasing ferocity, losing ground on the battlefield and alienating the very citizens they say they want to liberate.

www.nytimes.com...

reply to post by Kali74


I think I both agree and disagree. Personally, and perhaps in a major contrast, I think religion in life is critically important. It doesn't matter which one, or even whether it's monotheist or worships the almighty kumquat. If it makes people's lives fuller, in their own perspective, and gives them some reason beyond themselves to do the right thing in life? It's the best thing going ....as a personal thing.

That's the problem though, isn't it? There are plenty of people I know up at the college who are Faithful. It's obvious in little ways I've come to recognize, and jewelry is just one of them. The majority...and I mean all but a couple...you'd never know if not actually looking for that or sensitive to picking up on it. How it should be. The other couple I've run across?

Well.... These wars are full of people like those couple exceptions. War seems to draw Religion like turds on hot concrete draws flies. Either before the shooting or after it starts...more wars than not have come to be about it. There isn't much question there. If people could just keep personal Faith a personal thing ...we wouldn't have half this hate and discontent world wide, IMO.