New Yorker: Syrian opposition groups stop pretending
The Free Syrian Army in Kafranbel sends a Christmas message to the Pope in 2012.
The pretense that the so-called Syrian opposition-in-exile speaks for those inside the country, never firm to begin with, was further exposed late on Tuesday, in a two-minute video statement called “Communiqué No. 1,” which was issued by eleven armed rebel groups that are influential in northern Syria. Their message was simple: the Western-backed hotel revolutionaries jetting from capital to capital, claiming leadership in the political National Coalition and an interim government-to-be, don’t speak for them—and they won’t listen to them. The new coalition, which has yet to announce its name, also said it wants Islamic Sharia law to be the basis of any future government, and that the various opposition parties should unite within “an Islamic framework.”
There has long been a disconnect between those fighting and bleeding inside Syria and the political and diplomatic machinations of those in exile. What is new here is that at least three of the eleven groups—Liwa al-Tawhid, Liwa al-Islam, and Suqour al-Sham—are aligned with the military wing of the National Coalition, the Supreme Military Council, which is supported by the West and is what passes for the leadership of the loose franchise outfit known as the Free Syrian Army (F.S.A.). Now they have publicly thrown in their lot with Jabhat al-Nusra, which also signed on to the statement and is connected to Al Qaeda.
This public alliance of affiliates of the F.S.A. and of Al Qaeda, however, is more of a shift on paper than a marked change in how things work on the ground. There has long been operational coordination on a local level—for a particular battle or in a certain geographic area. All that has really happened at this stage is that a fig leaf has dropped. […]
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While this New Yorker-article was released two years ago, it is still very instructive as to realities on the ground which emerged since then. Useful in that context is the following documentary by – lo and behold! – al-Jazeera, released in late 2014, showcasing the character of the “opposition” in late 2013 in the area where, ever since the intervention by Russia, the term “moderate” has been liberally applied:
Important to note: said documentary also features the “al-Tawheed”-Brigade also mentioned in the New Yorker article, and has the gall to describe it “secular-nationalist” – at the same time clearly stating it’s directly cooperating with al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham! It’s also rather telling that nearly all areas covered are controlled by Islamist groups, first and foremost al-Nusra. ISIL also makes an appearance, way before it rose to infamy in the middle of the following year.
so 11 groups including the free Syrian army and al-nusra want sharia law in Syria. they want an extreme Islamic state; shias, Christians, kurds, alawites will be executed, tortured, beheaded, crucified and driven out to refugees towards Europe. and Israel, America,turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar want this slaughter house consuming innocent lives and sending suicide bombers and gunmen to all points of the compass.
now uk`s david Cameron says ISIS have Atomic, chemical and biological weapons in their luggage. we had these obvious lies from blair and bush.
Reblogged this on Siem Reap Mirror.