U.S. Intelligence Believes That The Syrian Civil War Could Last For Years

Free Syrian Army fighters prepared a homemade missile in Deir al-Zour on Saturday. The city has been one of the centers of fighting since the civil war began. In recent months, the government of President Bashar al-Assad has made gains against the rebels. Karam Jamal/Reuters

U.S. Intelligence Official Says Syrian War Could Last For Years -- New York Times

ASPEN, Colo. — A senior American intelligence official on Saturday warned that the Syrian conflict could last “many, many months to multiple years,” and described a situation that would most likely worsen regardless of whether the Syrian leader, President Bashar al-Assad, fell.

The comments by David R. Shedd, the deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, were one of the strongest public warnings about how the civil war in Syria has deteriorated, and he seemed to imply that the response from the United States and its allies had so far been lacking.

Mr. Shedd suggested that in addition to strengthening the more secular groups of the fractious Syrian opposition — which the Obama administration has promised to arm with weapons and ammunition — the West would have to directly confront more radical Islamist elements. But he did not say how that could be accomplished.

Read more ....

Update #1: Insight: By relying on Iran, Syria's Assad risks irrelevance -- Reuters
Update #2: Islamist Rebels Would Gain Sway in Long Syrian War: U.S. Official -- New York Times/Reuters

My Comment: As long as Iran/Hezbollah/Russia continue to support President Bashar al-Assad's regime, this assessment is probably correct.