U.S.-Led Air War In Syria Is Off To A Difficult Start, With Moderate Rebels Disenchanted

[Purveyor]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by etherealtruth (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Washington Post

By Liz Sly October 10 at 8:18 PM

REYHANLI, Turkey — The U.S.-led air war in Syria has gotten off to a rocky start, with even the Syrian rebel groups closest to the United States turning against it, U.S. ally Turkey refusing to contribute and the plight of a beleaguered Kurdish town exposing the limitations of the strategy.

U.S. officials caution that the strikes are just the beginning of a broader strategy that could take years to carry out. But the anger that the attacks have stirred risks undermining the effort, analysts and rebels say.

The main beneficiary of the strikes so far appears to be President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have taken advantage of the shift in the military balance to step up attacks against the moderate rebels designated by President Obama as partners of the United States in the war against extremists.

The U.S. targets have included oil facilities, a granary and an electricity plant under Islamic State control. The damage to those facilities has caused shortages and price hikes across the rebel-held north that are harming ordinary Syrians more than the well-funded militants, residents and activists say.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/us-led-air-war-in-syria-is-off-to-a-difficult-start-with-moderate-rebels-disenchanted/2014/10/10/e0949dfa-4fe9-11e4-aa5e-7153e466a02d_story.html

[BlueMTexpat]

1. The phrase "moderate rebels" in

the context of Syria is an oxymoron.

Assad is hardly a role model and is certainly repressive and reprehensible. But his government is not a sectarian one overall. We are falling for the same rhetoric used to drum up support against Saddam Hussein. He was not a role model either. But he was head and shoulders above anything that has supplanted him in that tragic nation since.

The rebel groups are sectarian - in many cases fanatically so close to ISIS that they are one and the same - and it drives me nuts to hear Western media (US media and politicians being the worst) continuing to propound the idea of moderation in connection with any of them.

[cosmicone]

8. +1,000,000

I laugh at oxymorons like "moderate rebels"

[ballyhoo]

12. Right. No such thing as moderate rebels.

[another_liberal]

2. To quote the great Jim Parsons, "I so informed you thusly."

Last edited Sat Oct 11, 2014, 07:18 AM - Edit history (1)

When the plan to contain IS forces with American airstrikes in Iraq was first announced, a few of us here warned the eager crowd that our renewed military involvement in that pitiful country would only make things worse. When the decision to bomb IS within Syria was made, we again tried to tell the bombing boosters that it would only do more harm than good.

Please, my war-infatuated friends, listen next time.


Here's a link to a related story:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025651372

[oberliner]

3. You aren't quoting Jim Parsons, the actor

You are quoting his character on a television show.

Credit should probably go to Chuck Lorre or one of the staff writers.

[another_liberal]

4. Thanks for the clarification . . .

Though I frankly doubt Mr. Lorre will sue.

[newfie11]

5. ^^^^^^^agreed! Nt

[karynnj]

6. Not surprising -- and I doubt you really would favor actions that would make them happy

What Turkey, the moderate rebels ... and the Washington Post would prefer is that the US attack Assad simultaneously with attacking ISIL. Just as John McCain argued for.

Not only does that immediately turn this into a bigger, more intense war, where we would soon be back into combat mode, it has no end game. Here, it seems like with the US acting against both Al Nusra and ISIL we are reducing the number of terrorists in both Syria and Iraq. It seems like the first goal is to help the new Iraqi government against ISIL. That itself is a really hard task as they are in control in Sunni areas and, at this point, have support of many people who live there. It is weird hearing the names again - Fallujah, Anbar ... etc

My guess is that, just as we pushed the Iraqis (and the Afghanis for that matter) to create inclusive governments, it seems that the "political solution" that has been unsuccessfully sought might be more likely after the US has worked tacitly with Assad against ISIL and Al Nusra.

[ballyhoo]

16. The only substantive thing our shock and yawn effort has

done is to create 3400 to 3600 IS, ISIS, ISIL (whatever) recruits per month.

[Warren Stupidity]

7. All 12 moderate rebels are seriously upset.

Meanwhile the Saudi backed jihadists are doing just fine. In other news, almost all the ammunition fired by ISIS appears to be American. How did that happen?

[KurtNYC]

9. S.N.A.F.U.

true as ever

[ballyhoo]

11. Trading among the caliphates, I'm sure.

[George II]

10. There's always someone who is going to be unhappy, and....

....if it's critical of the Obama administration we'll be sure to see it posted on this site!

[Fred Sanders]

14. DU is turning into an Obama whine fest by folks forgetting change begins from the bottom...not

from the couch.

[ballyhoo]

15. IMO, when a site like DU has those changing direction on the person

whom they voted for twice as president, it speaks volumes--healthy volumes. I never expected a pony, but I sure as hell did not want another war horse.

[Fred Sanders]

13. Holy crap, someone is unhappy with Obama! Give that man's complaint front page exposure.

[etherealtruth]

17. I am sorry, Locking

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