The Syrian Military Is Slowly Eroding

Soldiers loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo last month. The war has forced the Syrian Army to alter its tactics. George Ourfalian/Reuters

Syria Military Shows Strain In A War It Wasn’t Built to Fight -- New York Times

BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian military’s ability to fight rebels and hold territory has steadily eroded, forcing it to cede the job of running many checkpoints to paramilitary groups, give up a provincial city last week without much of a fight and even enlist the top state-appointed Muslim cleric as a recruiter.

Though the government forces remain better armed and organized than the rebels, two years of fighting have pushed the military to continue to scale back its ambitions and rethink its tactics.

In recent days, the government has signaled a growing anxiety over its ability to refresh the depleted and exhausted ranks of soldiers, and has continued to consolidate its forces around the capital, Damascus.

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My Comment: They are losing the fight .... and Syria's top generals are now beginning to realize that. New tactics will need to be employed .... and this is what they are trying to figure out. My prediction .... according to recent reports the Syrian rebels are now receiving weapons and training from Western sources .... if true .... this will only put more pressure on the Syrian military .... pressure that it will probably not be able to contain. Additional stories like this one also does not stir confidence in the Syrian military.