Al-Assad, Putin, Obama and the Syrian People

Syrian rebels, aided by Islamic extremists, took full control of the Sheik Suleiman military base near the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday. This is the second large northern military base they now control. It was just the latest victory for Syrian rebels re-inforced by al-Qaida-linked groups that have provided skilled fighters. Jihadi groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra raise concerns in the US and other nations that are supporting the opposition in Syria but do not want extremists to gain power in the region. The US recently blacklisted al-Nusra as a foreign terrorist organization and said the group was part of al-Qaida in Iraq. Nevertheless, al-Nusra fighters are among the most effective fighters on the rebel side, spearheading many of the recent Free Syria Army gains. Several hundred fighters from Jabhat al-Nusra - Arabic for "the Support Front" - have also helped rebels in the vicious battle for control of Aleppo. The group also claims responsibility for suicide bombings on Syrian government targets. Meanwhile, last weekend the Obama administration said it is getting ready to tighten its ties to Syria's main opposition group, the newly formed Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, at an international conference on the crisis in Morocco this week. The move will pave the way for greater US support for those seeking to oust Assad while the administration tries to blunt the influence of extremists. At the same time, the US has blacklisted al-Nusra, an act that will do little since al-Nusra has no assets in the US or in US banks. On another front, recent diplomatic speculation about Russia joining forces with the UN Security Council to oust al-Assad seems to be ill-founded. Experts on Russia are this week saying that Russian president Putin missed the chance to broker a deal in Syria when it could have been arranged, and now he will not lose face by abandoning his last friend in the Middle East. However, it appears that a softening line on Russian state TV suggests that Putin knows that al-Assad will finally lose and he is preparing Russians by saying that it was an uneven fight between the West and al-Assad forces. Concerning the possibility of an escape route for al-Assad, Belarus seems to be one possible destination that Putin could arrange, thereby boosting his image. But Syria experts believe that the Alawite community tied to al-Assad and his family would never let him leave, preferring to go down together with him. So, dear readers, we see the ill-conceived plans of three leaders. Al- Assad thought he could suppress yet again the Syrian people's desire for freedom. He was wrong. Putin thought he would support the winning side, believing that the Syrian people would not be able to endure the extreme suffering required to gain their freedom. He was wrong. And, most sad of the three, Obama thought he could assist the Syrian rebels using words alone. He was wrong. They found help in jihadist groups, and for this judgment error of the American president, Syria's and the region's future is clouded by extremist desires for regional power now more likely than ever to be fulfilled.