• Syrian jihadist problem may be exaggerated
    12 replies, posted
[quote=Der spiegel]The role of foreign jihadists linked to al-Qaida in Syria has been the subject of intense discussion in the Western media, among think tanks and inside governments. Yet despite the attention paid to the issue, the research behind the reports published is often thin. There's a good reason for this, too: Very few foreign journalists are still traveling within the areas of Syria that are no longer controlled by the regime of dictator Bashar Assad. Of course, other factors also influence the reporting. Right from the start, the regime described the insurgency in its propaganda as the action of "foreign terrorists," and it has often used the Russian media in particular as a platform for spreading false accounts of events. In early September, for example, the regime attributed an attack by diverse rebel groups on two checkpoints held by Christian militiamen in the western Syrian city of Malloula to al-Qaida. It claimed that the group had attacked and damaged churches and that it drove Christians into the streets and forced them to convert to Islam, with the threat of decapitation if they didn't. This horrific version of the story made its way into reporting by American and British news agencies. Indeed, few reported that the nuns at Maaloula's Tekla monastery had denied that such attacks had even taken place. ... In the beginning, the Arabs tended to work primarily together with the Al-Nusra Front, but the situation changed in early 2013. The group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), initially made up of fighters from Iraq, quickly became a catch-all for foreigners. With 3,000 to 6,000 members, it is still relatively small compared to the Syrian rebel groups -- particularly the Free Syrian Army (FSA), with around 100,000 men -- but ISIS has access to money from wealthy private benefactors in the Gulf states. ISIS also makes use of the rebels' core dilemma -- with a lack of foreign aid, the radicals offer themselves up as fighters. [/quote] Basically the role and amount of jihadists among Syrian rebels is being exaggerated by the Syrian government and their allies to paint the conflict as a war on terror. The relations between the main rebel group FSA and the small jihadist groups is one of necessity. Jihadists bring in money for the insurgency and FSA must utilise that regardless of ideological differences that sometimes even lead to violence. [url]http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/syrian-jihadist-problem-is-real-but-reports-often-exaggerated-a-924900.html[/url]
Anyone who read the numbers on various rebel factions would know this already. [editline]6th October 2013[/editline] There [I]is[/I] a problem, mainly since the Jihadist factions are generally the more experienced fighters, many having seen combat in Iraq, Afghanistan or even Chechnya, so they can often beat the more secular ones in in-fighting, but numbers-wise, they're few.
[QUOTE=Riller;42428392]Anyone who read the numbers on various rebel factions would know this already. [editline]6th October 2013[/editline] There [I]is[/I] a problem, mainly since the Jihadist factions are generally the more experienced fighters, many having seen combat in Iraq, Afghanistan or even Chechnya, so they can often beat the more secular ones in in-fighting, but numbers-wise, they're few.[/QUOTE] But when a big part of the rebel operations depends on the money of them "they're few" isn't really an argument. It doesn't take many to gain bad influence on people, especially when you provide those people with money and leadership.
[QUOTE=Killuah;42428941]But when a big part of the rebel operations depends on the money of them "they're few" isn't really an argument. It doesn't take many to gain bad influence on people, especially when you provide those people with money and leadership.[/QUOTE] Then let's start fuckin' funding rebels. Be a bigger influence.
[QUOTE=Riller;42428392]Anyone who read the numbers on various rebel factions would know this already. [editline]6th October 2013[/editline] There [I]is[/I] a problem, mainly since the Jihadist factions are generally the more experienced fighters, many having seen combat in Iraq, Afghanistan or even Chechnya, so they can often beat the more secular ones in in-fighting, but numbers-wise, they're few.[/QUOTE] If you read the article only a few are participating in battles. More are building bases in rebel controlled areas behind the lines trying to establish control which is frowned upon.
[QUOTE=Riller;42428979]Then let's start fuckin' funding rebels. Be a bigger influence.[/QUOTE] This had no adverse effect in all of history whatsoever Nothing can possibly go wrong with this genius plan
[QUOTE=MendozaMan;42429025]This had no adverse effect in all of history whatsoever Nothing can possibly go wrong with this genius plan[/QUOTE] I think Murphey's law is just about worn out in Syria.
[QUOTE=Riller;42429066]I think Murphey's law is just about worn out in Syria.[/QUOTE] "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong". The law has no diminishing returns. Time is the only delaying factor.
[QUOTE=Lolx0rz;42429235]"Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong". The law has no diminishing returns. Time is the only delaying factor.[/QUOTE] Short of India or Israel nuking them, what could make the current situation any shittier?
[QUOTE=Riller;42429533]Short of India or Israel nuking them, what could make the current situation any shittier?[/QUOTE] India or Israel nuking them?
[QUOTE=Riller;42428979]Then let's start fuckin' funding rebels. Be a bigger influence.[/QUOTE] do you want a nobel prize
[QUOTE=Riller;42428979]Then let's start fuckin' funding rebels. Be a bigger influence.[/QUOTE] What is Afghanistan?
[QUOTE=Riller;42429533]Short of India or Israel nuking them, what could make the current situation any shittier?[/QUOTE] I think India would nuke Pakistan before Syria for any reason :v:
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