Rebel-on-Rebel Violence Seizes Syria

Looks like the Syrian civil war is now starting to break down into utter chaos. With Assad declaring the war at a stalemate the rebel forces are turning on each other in as the radical jihadist try to take control from the "moderate" FSA fighters. Simply this is going to become a (bigger) mess than it already is.

Rebel-on-Rebel Violence Seizes Syria

An al Qaeda spinoff operating near Aleppo, Syria's largest city, last week began a new battle campaign it dubbed "Expunging Filth." The target wasn't their avowed enemy, the Syrian government. Instead, it was their nominal ally, the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army.

Across northern and eastern Syria, units of the jihadist group known as ISIS are seizing territory—on the battlefield and behind the front lines—from Western-backed rebels. Some FSA fighters now consider the extremists to be as big a threat to their survival as the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.

"It's a three-front war," a U.S. official said of the FSA rebels' fight: They face the Assad regime, forces from its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, and now the multinational jihadist ranks of ISIS.

So it's now a three-front war. How bad could it be if things are at a stalemate?

In recent months, ISIS has become a magnet for foreign jihadists who view the war in Syria not primarily as a means to overthrow the Assad regime but rather as a historic battleground for a larger Sunni holy war. According to centuries-old Islamic prophecy they espouse, they must establish an Islamic state in Syria as a step to achieving a global one.

At this point it appears we can move on from "bringing democracy to Syria" and move right along to "a historic larger Sunni holy war" complete with "Islamic prophecy" in order to "establish an Islamic state in Syria."

When things are bad never let it be said that it can't get worse. Unfortunately we (US) had a big part in opening this door... again.

reply to post by Bassago


oh well.... looks like it is going to be never-ending bs that we will be hearing about in the news for many more years!

Maybe its time to build a gigantic wall across the borders of those Countries not involved and pull out all the Citizens who are not involved and then let the rest get on with it.... when we bring the wall down in 100 years time, there may be 1 or 2 people left scattered about to tell the tale!

Wasn't there a call to a ceasefire by the Syrian government? I think I remember reading about such either yesterday or the day before.

So is all this infighting a result about inner conflicts over the ceasefire?

Just a thought, but I have to wonder, was that call to ceasefire a deliberate measure to attempt to destabilize the rebels?

CdT

CirqueDeTruth
Wasn't there a call to a ceasefire by the Syrian government? I think I remember reading about such either yesterday or the day before.

So is all this infighting a result about inner conflicts over the ceasefire?

Just a thought, but I have to wonder, was that call to ceasefire a deliberate measure to attempt to destabilize the rebels?

It's possible but more likely this is the result of the radical jihadist factions sensing they are getting the upper hand over the US backed FSA. With our air strikes not coming through for the FSA it looks like the radicals are making their move to take over. This is a holy war to the jihadist pouring into Syria. For the FSA it is more about replacing Assad.

reply to post by CirqueDeTruth

well if it was it is working www.foxnews.com... from the link

Syria jihadist, rebel tensions explode
By Serene Assir
Published September 20, 2013
AFP

Syrian opposition fighters pictured in the northern city of Aleppo on May 27, 2013. A new front is emerging in Syria's war, as mainstream rebels come to blows with jihadists, endangering their common goal of ousting Bashar al-Assad's regime. (AFP/File)


Syrian refugee children walk in the Bab al-Salam refugee camp in Syria's northern city of Azaz on July 15, 2013. (AFP/File)

BEIRUT (AFP) – A new front is emerging in Syria's war, as mainstream rebels come to blows with jihadists, endangering their common goal of ousting Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Ever since Al-Qaeda front group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) appeared on the battlefield, tensions between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and jihadists have soared, sparking firefights, kidnappings and assassinations.

On Friday, after ISIS seized the northern border town of Azaz, the opposition National Coalition for the first time publicly condemned attacks by jihadists.
"The Coalition condemns the aggressions against the forces of the Syrian revolution and the repeated disregard for the lives of Syrians, and considers that this behaviour runs contrary to the Syrian revolution and the principles it is striving to achieve," it said.
The statement came after ISIS seized Azaz on the border with Turkey from FSA hands.

Problems between the FSA and ISIS are not only over control, but also about vision.
While the FSA is fighting to establish a democratic state in Syria, the aim of ISIS is to create and rule over an Islamic state.


Read more: www.foxnews.com...

now that the real cat is out of the bag, will the US side with one and not the other? or give aid to both groups? or non at all? and they both get mad at the US for in action

reply to post by Bassago

and whom has more backing in the mid east FSA or the Jihadist? I would say the jihadist for they are from all over the mid east, FSA is only a Syria fraction.

Let's see how true their saying "my enemy's enemy is my friend"

Whatever, they ain't no friend of America. Assad must be laughing really loud.

reply to post by TruthxIsxInxThexMist

bigger picture, Assad Falls and the FSA fail to gain Syria that leave the Jihadist in control will Turkey a NATO member www.nato.int... the link prove this, for you that did not know this , put up with a non secure Syria?? i think not

bekod
reply to post by Bassago

 

and whom has more backing in the mid east FSA or the Jihadist? I would say the jihadist for they are from all over the mid east, FSA is only a Syria fraction.

Overall support probably the jihadist. US support the FSA. I think Obama has lost control of the (FSA) insurrection we were supporting so this whole thing will explode and our "interests/war plans" in Syria will fizzle out.

Sounds like an attempt by the west to distance themselves from the terrorists or what ever they are called, oh aye, al queda.

Trying to make out they are a separate group from the one they are arming.

reply to post by mypan


well it seems the 11th joined up as a Jihadist group www.aljazeera.com... from the link

FSA brigade 'joins al-Qaeda group' in Syria
Hundreds of fighters under Free Syrian Army's command have pledged allegiance to al-Nusra Front, reports say.
Last Modified: 20 Sep 2013 18:35 it goes on to say:
Activists and military sources have told Al Jazeera that the 11th Division - one of the biggest FSA brigades - has switched allegiance to the al-Nusra Front in Raqqah province, a border province with Turkey.

A video was uploaded to YouTube on Thursday purporting to show members of the 11th Division parading through Raqqah with Nusra fighters.

In the video clip, a voice can be heard saying in Arabic, "Raqqah ... September 19, 2013 ... The convoy of Nusra ... God is great ... Nusra in Raqqah province."

The switch, if confirmed, tightens Nusra's control of Raqqah just days after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) attacked members of the Free Syrian Army in Azaz, on the border with Turkey.

it seems the inaction of the west might be the down fall of the FSA

bekod
reply to post by mypan

 

it seems the inaction of the west might be the down fall of the FSA

That's the conclusion I came to as well. We instigate the war and now things go south. Radical Islam tries to take over and if successful the ME is left with another shattered country. Maybe that's just a facet of the overall plan anyway.

Rebel on rebel action... Sounds like the begining of a movie... Nevermind...

So let me get this straight, the "Real" rebels are now fighting with the US backed rebels??? Sounds like the real rebels figured out the game and are tired of being made fools of? If I don't have this pinned please let me know so I can change my outlook....

stupid double post garbage....

sulaw
Rebel on rebel action... Sounds like the begining of a movie... Nevermind...

So let me get this straight, the "Real" rebels are now fighting with the US backed rebels??? Sounds like the real rebels figured out the game and are tired of being made fools of? If I don't have this pinned please let me know so I can change my outlook....

The real rebels in most peoples minds is the FSA. That is also the group the West is now arming. The other groups are radical groups mostly from outside Syria. Their have been tensions between the two groups for some time with occasional clashes. Now with Western aid flowing the FSA will become a much more effective and powerful force. The radicals now can not wait for Assad to fall to take on the rebels because the rebels will be to powerful. So they made their move early. Not a real suprise the same sort of thing was expected if the US had launched airstrikes.

reply to post by Bassago


this can be made into an advantage.

If the Syrian government was to call the FSA fighters to unite to expunge Syria of foreign fighters....they could establish a strong bond which could carry over into negotiations and talks of peace.

There is no greater bond then that of a united people against a common enemy.

I would approach the FSA to first clean and rid Syria of all non Syrian combatants.

Using that momentum I would start forming connections to the FSA, establish a leadership for it to interact with government spokesmen, and military forces, and of that leadership to unite the FSA under a sympathetic and rational leadership that can be tasked with dialogue towards disarmament and peace.

also any chance to destabilize and eliminate radical jihadists should be taken advantage of and supported by the west.

That is who we should back..... the Syrian government IF it embraces the FSA in a united front against radical Islam ....

reply to post by MrSpad


Thank you for the clarification, it's well appreciated

reply to post by Bassago


Don't forget the Turkish interests here. I'm guessing but I doubt they'd support a Jihadist gov't in Syria.

Then there's The Saudis, who know which side they support, hopefully not the Jihadists.

What a mess.

nwtrucker
reply to post by Bassago

 

Don't forget the Turkish interests here. I'm guessing but I doubt they'd support a Jihadist gov't in Syria.

Then there's The Saudis, who know which side they support, hopefully not the Jihadists.

What a mess.

Pretty sure the Saudis, Qatar, Turkey all support the FSA. The put billions into getting them going on this fight.

Still they (SA) did threaten Russia about turning loose the Chechnyan fighters on the upcoming Olympics... ? Chechnya Muslims are Sunni right?

tadaman
reply to post by Bassago

 

this can be made into an advantage.

If the Syrian government was to call the FSA fighters to unite to expunge Syria of foreign fighters....they could establish a strong bond which could carry over into negotiations and talks of peace.

There is no greater bond then that of a united people against a common enemy.

I would approach the FSA to first clean and rid Syria of all non Syrian combatants.

Using that momentum I would start forming connections to the FSA, establish a leadership for it to interact with government spokesmen, and military forces, and of that leadership to unite the FSA under a sympathetic and rational leadership that can be tasked with dialogue towards disarmament and peace.

also any chance to destabilize and eliminate radical jihadists should be taken advantage of and supported by the west.

That is who we should back..... the Syrian government IF it embraces the FSA in a united front against radical Islam ....

The problem with that is Assads forces are being propped up by Iranian, Hezbollah and Lebanese forces. If he were to send them home what is left the Syrian forces on his side most likely would head over to join the rebels without fear anymore. The only I see for Assad keeping any kind of power is for him concetrate in the small enclave of Syria on the coast that is loyal to him and make to painful for the rebels to take and work out a peace where he keeps this small zone under his control. However considering the feelings for Assad in Syria I doubt their will ever be deal where he stays alive in Syria. Now if some of his generals were take him out and enter negotiations that might work but, he has his family pretty well in command of every thing.