Smoke rises after airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force on what Russia says was a bomb factory in Maarat al-Numan, south of Idlib Photo: Reuters
Rebels warn that Russian air strikes risk pushing moderates into arms of more powerful extremist groups
Russia’s decision to wade into Syria’s messy war risks pushing more militants into the arms of the country’s powerful al-Qaeda group, according to rebels.
Jabhat al-Nusra, a Syrian al-Qaeda group that has survived through integration with the wider movement which took up arms against leader Bashar al-Assad in 2011, is now one of the most powerful players in Syria’s messy war.
Depicting Moscow’s military support for Mr Assad as tantamount to an invasion, Nusra and other rebel groups say they want to evoke the prolonged and unsuccessful Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a battle in which the modern day al-Qaeda has its roots.
WNU Editor: It looks like the Syrian rebels are about to receive a lot more military assistance/resources/supplies to make this happen .... Gulf states plan military response as Putin raises the stakes in Syria (The Guardian).
2 comments:
Syria isn't Afghanistan. It's much better for conventional warfare if you have the forces for it, much worse for the guerrilla war of the sort Afghanistan is famous for. Neither the terrain nor the people are conductive to it.
Afghanistan had a great power behind it (America) and Saudi money. The Saudis matched America money, but they were stretched. Occasionally they had to be cajoled to pony up. The budget is much worse now for the Saudis.
The mujaheddin were beat by 1986. The only thing turning things around were Saudi money, American money, American weapons, British weapons and Chinese weapons.
Al Qaeda is not going to get that.
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