Friday, November 2, 2012

As US Abandons Syria to its Fate, One Man Rises Above

The US has largely abdicated the throne in Syria in terms of supplying the rebels with funds and leadership. This is because Washington cannot see the end game clearly. For that, it needs a figure-head, a rebel leader with the potential to carry things through to an end that is in Washington’s interest.
There is, however, a figure rising up out of the dust and shrapnel in Syria that deserves our attention. Right now, he is the only figure that appears capable of shaping an end to the regime of Bashar al-Assad and ensuring a new Syrian government that is not overrun by Sunni fundamentalists.
The force of this figure—Colonel Abdel-Jabber Akidi,  commander of rebel forces in the Aleppo region and arguably now the senior commander of the Free Syrian Army (FSA)—combined with the intelligence and policy expertise provided by the Syrian Support Group (SSG) based in Washington, DC could provide us with more certainty (and stability) in terms of an end game.
What Colonel Akidi wants is significant, but what he is offering is more so, according to Jellyfish Operations, a DC-based private intelligence firm working in Syria.
What he wants is modern anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons, as well as a crash training course, which are necessary if the rebels are to defeat Assad and halt the violence.
What he’s promising in return is to keep these weapons out of the hands of the extremists who have infiltrated the ranks of the rebels, and this is the most important point and the main issue behind Washington’s reluctance to do more to help the rebels.
Colonel Akidi’s message is this, and it is a powerful one: If the US does not step in to fill the vacuum with funds and weapons to support the rebels against Assad, the Saudis and Qataris and other Gulf contributors will ensure that Sunni extremist groups gain increasing power and sideline the genuine rebels entirely.
The US cannot afford for this to happen.

Read more: http://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/Middle-East/As-US-Abandons-Syria-to-its-Fate-One-Man-Rises-Above.html

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