Has Assad Just Won The Civil War In Syria?

Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hold up his pictures during a rally supporting him and the army in Damascus in this February 19, 2014 file photograph. REUTERS/Khaled al-Hariri

With Latest Victory, Assad Has Won the War in Syria -- David Francis, The Fiscal Times

As the eyes of the world and the media turn to Ukraine, Syrian President Bashar al Assad has quietly been making momentous gains in his three-year civil war with rebels that all but assure he will leave office on his own terms.

Yabroud, the last major town held by Sunni Muslim rebels and located near the Lebanese border, is under siege by Assad's army. On Tuesday, with support from Hezbollah fighters and local paramilitary groups, Assad’s forces bombarded the town until the rebels retreated.

Taking Yabroud is an important victory for Assad, who has been fighting for months to control the surrounding region.. He has now effectively cut off rebel supply lines from Lebanon.

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My Comment: The Syrian regime has made significant strides this winter ... they are now even boasting that Syria's Presidential elections will move forward. But these victories were made at great human cost .... and against an opposition that is deeply fractured, under-equipped, and unprepared to fight in winter conditions. The tide of this civil war can change very quickly .... especially if the opposition can unify and if they receive some of the advanced weaponry that the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia have promised them. It may appear that Assad is winning .... but he is still far away from claiming complete victory.