Is Syria Going To Be Partitioned?

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The Arab Source

Kareem Shaheen, The Guardian: Syria approaching de facto partition amid Assad military setbacks

Regime forces have been ceding territory to rebel fighters and Islamic State to regroup in western strongholds.

The growing anarchy and stalemate in Syria has brought the country closer to de facto partition, as the overstretched and exhausted army of the president, Bashar al-Assad, retreats in the face of a war of attrition that has sapped its manpower.

The regime’s military has sought to retain a footprint in far-flung areas of the country, from Deir Ezzor in Syria’s eastern desert to Aleppo in the north and Deraa in the south, attempting to consolidate its hold over state institutions and protect its officer corps by retreating in the face of overwhelming offensives and subjecting lost territory to relentless and indiscriminate aerial campaigns.

WNU Editor: I do not see any side strong enough to defeat the other. I see this partition as a "fait accompli" .... and unless the rebels coordinate a major offensive, these divided zones will probably remain static for the rest of the year.