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But is it 'strategic' ?

Reader comment on item: Support the Syrian Rebels?

Submitted by Soloview (Canada), May 12, 2013 at 10:41

I am afraid the 'support whoever is losing' idea does not strike me as either strategic nor, for that matter, all that 'doable'. It may very well be that despite the massive, and at times totally nutty, anti-Assad propaganda, the regime has never been close to being defeated by the rebels. I am told by people who know Syria from the inside (and have no axe to grind) that the rebels are hugely unpopular with the great majority of urban population except in known enclaves known for their Muslim Brotherhood sympathies. It is not that the populace is enamored with Assad, it is just they consider definitely the lesser evil. The known enclaves of resistance are regularly overrun by Assad's forces and even though the regime has apparently not bent on trying to re-establish a civilian control there for the moment (as any pro-Assad figure becomes an immediate target for assassinations) it has effectively prevented the establishment of an alternative government. There are only a few pockets in the North and in the East where the rebels roam free and which Damascus does not control. In the bigger picture, they are not all that relevant.

So I am extremely skeptical of the basic premise on which Daniel operates. The regime has been weakened and,yes , parts of the country (the small towns and countryside) are occasionally out of control, but this is certainly does not appear to be Spain 1938. Assad has been able to hold on despite the nonsense that gets reported in the West. In my reckoning, the biggest danger in supporting the rebels against Assad is that it increases the technical potential to the means of mass destruction to Israel - and given the political instability, enables to carry it anonymously !

No, the policy of switching to support the losing side in the conflict will not do ! It is not just morally objectionable but plainly it is no strategy at all ! One cannot speak of having a strategy if one does not have a vision of a final outcome. It is like opening a chess game with Caro Kann hoping that the opponent has a heart attack. It bespeaks of a mindset which has run out of ideas because it has no longer the confidence of itself as the world's most advanced civilization, one that can deliver political solutions that are fair and equitable to all.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (26) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Jamal Khashoggi - Linked to the MuslimBrotherhood [92 words]RobertOct 16, 2018 11:18245477
3He admitted that he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood! [49 words]dhimmi no moreOct 16, 2018 14:01245477
1Moslem Brotherhood is NOT considered a "terrorist organization" in the USA, I believe [40 words]RobertOct 16, 2018 17:18245477
The Muslim Brotherhood's Logo/Flag and terrorism [408 words]dhimmi no moreOct 17, 2018 17:05245477
1USA State Department Designation [38 words]RobertOct 17, 2018 19:06245477
The Muslim Brotherhood's Logo/Flag and terrorism, in the words of its founder Hasan el-Bana [198 words]dhimmi no moreOct 18, 2018 06:41245477
Our dear Robert: Careless writer! [46 words]dhimmi no moreOct 18, 2018 07:02245477
TYPOS - Sorry ! [27 words]RobertOct 18, 2018 14:52245477
Muslim Brotherhood in America [85 words]RobertOct 18, 2018 15:04245477
Attention: Our dear Robert [64 words]dhimmi no moreOct 19, 2018 16:45245477
100,000 dead Syrians as of August 2013 , sickening and sad. [51 words]Phil GreendAug 12, 2013 03:37208941
The War Over Nothing [95 words]DaveAug 5, 2013 16:33208796
2Not our Fight [237 words]Kepha HorJun 19, 2013 19:12207127
1War May Soon Escalate in the Middle-East Dragging Israel into the Conflict [373 words]TomAug 23, 2013 13:28207127
Syria is recieving Aid...from all the wrong people [65 words]Jerusalem CenterMay 19, 2013 04:12206162
Support the division of Syria [131 words]albert snowMay 18, 2013 07:27206147
Important point [41 words]saraMay 18, 2013 18:17206147
Is it too late [272 words]AndyJun 9, 2013 08:31206147
Dogs Not Barking [65 words]David W. LincolnMay 15, 2013 11:45206073
Support the Syrian Rebels? [176 words]JudithMay 13, 2013 19:09206011
1Am not supporting any side [288 words]JACQUES HADIDAMay 15, 2013 12:01206011
No Aid to the Rebels [23 words]OldmanRickMay 13, 2013 15:09206005
Might be too early to switch. [40 words]samuelMay 13, 2013 10:25205990
3But is it 'strategic' ? [402 words]SoloviewMay 12, 2013 10:41205946
1Do not help Syrian rebels, not even if they are losing [127 words]Henk TwerdaMay 12, 2013 09:28205944
2Be careful, Mr. Pipes! [70 words]DmitryMay 12, 2013 08:43205943

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