Syrian rebels are gaining ground and might win, Russia’s Middle East envoy said on Thursday, in the starkest such admission from a major ally of President Bashar al-Assad in 20 months of conflict.
“One must look the facts in the face,” Russia’s state-run RIA quoted Mikhail Bogdanov as saying. “Unfortunately, the victory of the Syrian opposition cannot be ruled out.”
To be clear, the Russian government remains firmly opposed to the idea of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad losing control of the country, but even his staunchest allies are beginning to see the writing on the wall. We suspect the fighting is still far from over, but doubt many outside of the most devout Assad supporters continue to believe he will be president when the fighting ends.
Syrian forces have fired Scud missiles at rebel groups in the northern part of the country over the last few days, according to senior U.S. officials.
The use of the missiles marks a potentially significant expansion of the civil war, which has already killed more than 40,000 people. It comes as the Syrian rebels have been gaining momentum in their fight to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his regime.
While the White House hasn’t yet confirmed the reports, it did come up during today’s daily press briefing. “If true, this would be the last desperate act from a regime that has shown utter disregard for innocent life, utter disregard for the lives of its own citizens,” said White House press secretary Jay Carney. An unidentified official also called the move “desperate”, noting the increased likelihood for civilian casualties with such weapons, and said their use could be the latest indication that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is afraid of the opposition forces.
The Obama administration has formally designated a rebel group fighting in Syria as a terrorist organization in hopes of marginalizing the Al Qaeda affiliate and reducing its chances of playing a major role in the country should the government fall.
Administration officials blacklisted Jabhat al-Nusra, or the Nusra Front, describing it as a wing of Al Qaeda in Iraq, which was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans during the height of the Iraq war. The Nusra Front is one of dozens of rebel groups that have emerged in the Syrian conflict.
It remains to be seen what effect, if any, blacklisting Jabhat al-Nusra — also known as the Nusra Front — will have on the rebel militia, which has earned the trust and support of many Syrians battling the Assad regime. However, it does prevent the United States from supporting the group, or any others that work with the Nusra Front in the future, and U.S. officials hope it will dissuade others in the region from supporting the group as well.
This is a red line for the United States. I am not going to telegraph in any specifics what we would do in the event of credible evidence that the Assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people. But suffice it to say we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton • Making clear that the United States will not remain idle on the sidelines any longer if the Syrian government uses chemical weapons on civilians or rebel forces inside the country. The United States and other nations have maintained a mostly hands-off policy with regards to the conflict in Syria, instead pushing for change via diplomacy, though international pressure has yet to yield any significant results outside of occasional political defections. The Syrian government has already responded with a denial that they own such weapons, saying officials would never do such a thing “under any circumstances.” source
From Bad To Worse: The civil war in Syrian took one step closer to becoming an international conflict today. While the war didn’t receive much attention during the presidential debates, it seems increasingly likely that President Obama will be forced to intervene or provide a convincing reason for inaction in coming months. What role, if any, do you think outside nations should play in the conflict? source
I am not a puppet. I was not made by the west to go to the west or to any other country. I am Syrian, I was made in Syria, I have to live in Syria and die in Syria. I do not think the west is going [to intervene], but if they do so, nobody can tell what is next. I think the price of this invasion if it happened is going to be more than the whole world can afford.Syrian President Bashar al-Assad • Making clear that he no longer has any intention of stepping down or leaving Syria, based on demands from Western countries, during an interview with Russia Today TV. As recently as Tuesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron had mentioned the possibility of Assad being able to leave peacefully; however, it’s quite clear that the Syrian President has no interest in doing so. source
Drip, drip drip: Riyad Hijab, who was appointed Prime Minsister of Syria last June, has defected to Jordan and joined the opposition. Jordanian officials confirmed to Al-Jazeera that Hijab is with his family after having been smuggled across the border, and his spokesman claims that the defection had been planned for months in collusion with the Free Syrian Army. The Syrian government claims Hijab was fired, but either way, this is probably the highest-level defection President Bashar al-Assad has suffered so far, and a sign to many that his power is waning. source
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