NY Times December 11, 2012 Seeking Allies Among Syrian Rebels, U.S. Instead Finds Hostility By ANNE BARNARD and HANIA MOURTADA
BEIRUT, Lebanon As the United States tries attempts to rally international support for the Syrian rebellion, trying to herd the opposition into a shadow government that it can recognize and assist, on the ground in Syria it faces an entirely different problem: Much of the rebellion is hostile toward America. Frustration mounted for months as the United States sat on the sidelines, and peaked this week when it blacklisted the Nusra Front, one of the uprisings most effective fighting forces, calling it a terrorist organization. The move was aimed at isolating the group, which according to Iraqi and American officials has operational ties to Al Qaedas franchise in Iraq. But interviews with a wide range of Syrian rebels and activists show that for now, the blacklisting has appeared to produce the opposite. It has united a broad spectrum of the opposition from Islamist fighters to liberal and nonviolent activists who fervently oppose them in anger and exasperation with the United States. The dissatisfaction is over more than just the blacklisting, and raises the possibility that now, just as the United States is stepping up efforts to steer the outcome in Syria, it may already be too late. More than 100 antigovernment organizations and fighting battalions have called online for demonstrations on Friday under the slogan, No to American intervention we are all Jabhet al-Nusra, a reference to the groups Arabic name. Syrians across the political spectrum say the United States allowed more than 40,000 people to die in the 21-month conflict. Supporters of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, call the uprising a creation of the West and its allies. His opponents excoriate the United States for failing to provide arms and leaving them to perish and have begun to express a growing wariness of American involvement in Syrias political future. Anti-American sentiment is growing, because the Americans are messing up in bigger ways lately, said Nabil al-Amir, an official spokesman for the rebel military council for Damascus and its suburbs, one of the committees that the United States and its allies are trying to coax into a unified rebel command. With every step to correct earlier mistakes, he said, they make a bigger mess. Liberals activists blame American inaction for giving jihadists a leading role in the conflict. Rival rebel groups have declared solidarity with the Nusra Front, and Islamists have congratulated it on its new distinction. And seemingly everyone accuses the United States of hypocrisy for not putting a terrorist label on Mr. Assad, whose forces have killed far more civilians than any rebel group. The United States scrambled on Tuesday to contain the damage, issuing a more complete justification for blacklisting the Nusra Front and stressing that the group has killed Syrian civilians in more than 40 suicide bombings. And it announced a new wrinkle: It is also blacklisting pro-government militias accused of killing civilians as part of the Assad regimes campaign of terror and violence. The militias, a Treasury Department statement said, would include what it called the Shabiha and Jaish al-Shabi, or the Peoples Army, which it said was created with the help of Mr. Assads allies Iran and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and was modeled on Irans Basij militia. But it may be hard to define who exactly is blacklisted under the heading of shabiha, which is not the name of an organization but a catchall term for pro-government gangs. The Peoples Army is a nascent group, an apparent effort to turn those informal militias into a paramilitary organization. Criticizing America has become a favorite sideline of antigovernment activists. Some have even questioned the sincerity of President Obamas recent warning that Mr. Assad would be crossing a red line if he used chemical weapons on Syrians. At a recent demonstration, solemn-eyed boys posed for a photograph that spread online with the title Red line or green light? They held a poster of a traffic light, emblazoned with an American flag, shining green for Mr. Assad as he drives a truck laden with chemical weapons. Demonstrators in Kafr Nabl, a northern Syrian town known lately for its witty antigovernment slogans, quickly mocked the blacklisting with a poster that showed a cartoonish Mr. Assad, with jutting ears, a diabolical grimace and a bloody dagger in each hand, standing over a pile of corpses. One of the dead held a black banner with an Islamic slogan as Mr. Obama, his back to the massacre, pointed at the banner and said, Terrorist! One exile opposition leader, Burhan Ghalioun, even suggested that by rushing under American pressure, the newly formed opposition body, the Syrian National Coalition, had undermined its own credibility, promising and then failing so far to form a shadow government ahead of international talks in Marrakesh, Morocco, on Wednesday. As opposition leaders gathered in Marrakesh on Tuesday, Farouk Tayfour, a senior official of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, a powerful force in the coalition, called the United States blacklisting move very wrong and too hasty. An activist who declined to give his name for safety reasons said, All populations resent those who abandon them and then come at the critical moments to steal their victory. . An activist in Douma, outside Damascus, said flatly, America supports the regime. The blacklisting of the Nusra Front cost America support in the northern province of Idlib, said Ahmed Kadour, an activist there who opposes Islamist fighting groups. He said the United States was trying ineptly to solve a problem it created. If they had intervened and helped us from the very beginning, Mr. Kadour said, we wouldnt have reached this point. One of the sorest points for some Syrians is that a unified military command formed last week at American behest includes Islamist battalions that fight alongside the Nusra Front and share much of its ideology. The distinction, some believe, is that Nusra Front has never offered to come under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army, saying it does not need or want Western aid, while the other groups are backed by American allies like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. A secular civilian activist in Idlib said that one such group, Ansar al-Sham, is responsible for many abuses that have soured some Syrians on the rebels, like the commandeering of bakeries and hospitals, but described the Nusra Front as professional and meticulous. The activist said that Saudi Arabia was the go-between connecting Ansar and the United States. He said he suspected the decision to blacklist the Nusra Front but not Ansar was either sheer idiocy or part of a political deal. The Syrian population now hates America a lot, said an activist who posts online material for the Damascus military council, part of the American-backed rebel structure, whose nom de guerre is Mosaab Abu Qatada. It was not always that way, the activist added. When Obama said that Bashar should leave, some people here held American flags and sent him their greetings, he said. Unfortunately, its all lies and hypocrisy. Michael R. Gordon contributed reporting from Washington. On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 4:48 PM, Cort Greene <cort.gre...@gmail.com> wrote: > Last Fridays demo's in Syria were telling the UN/West/USA to stay out and > were conducted by the opposition. > > The US would need way more than 10,000 troops more like 100,000 and Iraq > is allied with Iran in the region. > > Iran is in the process of preparing for new elections in 8 months( lets > remember that it was that US that brought the Khomeini regime to power) > having negotiations with the Nuke powers and in throes of their own > economic problems and labor troubles. > > > On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 4:30 PM, <scotpe...@cruzio.com> wrote: > >> ** >> >> >> If the UN/Western Nations, AKA USA would stay out of it, Id be quite >> happy, but it is a stepping stone to Iran. It is presently a deterrent to >> Israel also. >> >> Someone on another groups said Iraq is now a deterrent, yet we just put >> close to 10,000 troops into Iraq, quietly through the Kuwait border, >> headed for the Syrian Border and more are suppsoe to be on the way. >> >> Scott >> >> >> > Yes this true also but the Qatar regime supports one section, the Turkey >> > government supports another grouping and is working with the CIA to >> block >> > weapons and funding to most groups and were friends and trade partners >> up >> > to a little over a year ago, The Saudis are funding most of the right >> wing >> > groups and these are 3 countries that really don't get along with one >> > another and their are hundreds of groupings on the ground, most of these >> > so >> > called coalitions are out of country and have little support. >> > >> > Syrian military has had skirmishes with Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan on >> > several occasions >> > >> > Out of the some say 70,000 + fighters in the opposition most are from >> the >> > Syrian army, civilians turned fighters and the outside country so >> > called *Jihadists >> > number in the* low thousands. >> >> > >> > But Syria does have allies other than imperialist Russia with troops and >> > Navel base their,imperialist Iran has Quds Force troops and Hezbollah >> > fighting along with them. Imperialist China is a big backer also. >> > >> > We heard to US is sending troops before and they may but I doubt it, let >> > the Syrian people finish the job. >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 3:24 PM, <scotpe...@cruzio.com> wrote: >> > >> >> Yes, that is so true. >> >> >> >> Yet, we have Western nations with their paid fighters and black Ops >> >> working to get the UN aka the USA in to take over and install a puppet >> >> who >> >> will work for us. The same old agitate and regime chance with a puppet >> >> who >> >> is quite often, even more brutal then those we replaced. >> >> >> >> I am not supporting a lesser of the evils in this, not wishing to waste >> >> time arguing over which is a lesser evil, only that Assads oppression >> of >> >> his people is being taken advantage of. >> >> >> >> Assad is likely the only one in the region that would defend Iran from >> >> an >> >> attack. >> >> >> >> Syria is about the only Russian Ally in the area. >> >> >> >> To lose Syria as a buffer would be very very advantageous to those who >> >> profit by perpetual war, but if US forces start taking causalities or a >> >> draft has to be instated the people will once again rise up and tell >> our >> >> government to exit that theater of Profitable Operations for their >> >> Corporate MIC Nuclear Mafia campaign Funders. >> >> >> >> To remove Assad and install US puppets would be disastrous for a great >> >> many more people. >> >> >> >> So my intent is showing Western influences, much less the back ops and >> >> military funding from those we hear call themselves 'the good guys' and >> >> state they are our leaders. >> >> >> >> Scott >> >> >> >> > Oh how soon the conspiracy theorists forget, the Egyptian Brotherhood >> >> is >> >> > not blaming outside force for their problems. >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > For nearly 21 months now, Assad has been slaughtering his people. And >> >> its >> >> > extremely important to remember how this all started. In March 2011, >> >> > Assads thugs arrested and tortured kids whod spray painted the >> >> phrase >> >> > that was inspiring oppressed hearts and minds across the Arab world: >> >> The >> >> > people want the fall of the regime. >> >> > >> >> > Torturing these young people proved too much for the people of Daraa >> >> and, >> >> > soon, others across the country. In March 2011, the people began to >> >> > protest. Instead of serious efforts aimed at dialogue and reform, >> >> Assad >> >> > chose murder. >> >> > >> >> > Today the situation is dire. What began as peaceful protest morphed >> >> into >> >> a >> >> > violent and bloody armed conflict because some elements of the >> >> opposition >> >> > moved to defend the unarmed protesters demanding their dignity who >> >> were >> >> > being ruthlessly gunned downor, like 13-year-old Hamza al-Khatib, >> >> > arrested, tortured and brutally, brutally murdered. >> >> > >> >> > As this conflict drags on, we must never forget how it began. The >> >> people >> >> > did not choose this war. It was forced on them. And to their credit, >> >> it >> >> > took months of murderous brutality before the opposition definitively >> >> > turned to weapons. >> >> > >> >> > On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 1:08 PM, <scotpe...@cruzio.com> wrote: >> >> > >> >> >> ** >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13251-the-doha-protocol-for-syria-the-veritable-road-map-in-13-points-drawn-up-by-syrian-traitors-in-the-service-of-imperialists-and-the-gulf-monarchies >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Road Map Drawn Up by Syrian Traitors to Serve Imperialists, Gulf >> >> >> Monarchies >> >> >> Noureddine Merdaci, Truthout: In reality, the so-called "revolt" in >> >> >> Syria, >> >> >> totally managed by foreign countries and their intelligence >> services, >> >> >> was >> >> >> a proxy war which only needed Syrians to serve as local color. >> >> >> Read the Article >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13251-the-doha-protocol-for-syria-the-veritable-road-map-in-13-points-drawn-up-by-syrian-traitors-in-the-service-of-imperialists-and-the-gulf-monarchies >> >> >> >> >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > -- >> >> > *A means can be justified only by its end. But the end in its turn >> >> needs >> >> > to >> >> > be justified. >> >> > >> >> > (Also quoted as "The end may justify the means as long as there is >> >> > something that justifies the end.") >> >> > >> >> > Leon Trotsky >> >> > >> >> > Their Morals and Ours (1938)* >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > -- >> >> > *A means can be justified only by its end. But the end in its turn >> >> needs >> >> > to >> >> > be justified. >> >> > >> >> > (Also quoted as "The end may justify the means as long as there is >> >> > something that justifies the end.") >> >> > >> >> > Leon Trotsky >> >> > >> >> > Their Morals and Ours (1938)* >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > ------------------------------------ >> >> > >> >> > >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network >> >> > >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> >> >> > >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> >> >> > >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> >> >> > >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> >> >> > >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> >> >> > >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> >> >> > >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> >> >> > >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Yahoo! Groups Links >> >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >> > >> > -- >> > *A means can be justified only by its end. But the end in its turn needs >> > to >> > be justified. >> > >> > (Also quoted as "The end may justify the means as long as there is >> > something that justifies the end.") >> > >> > Leon Trotsky >> > >> > Their Morals and Ours (1938)* >> > >> > >> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> > >> > >> > >> > ------------------------------------ >> > >> > ---------------------------------------------------------- >> > LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network >> > ---------------------------------------------------------- >> > Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------- >> > Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------- >> > Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------- >> > Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------- >> > Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------- >> > Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------- >> > Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------- >> > Yahoo! Groups Links >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> >> >> > > > > -- > *A means can be justified only by its end. But the end in its turn needs > to be justified. > > (Also quoted as "The end may justify the means as long as there is > something that justifies the end.") > > Leon Trotsky > > Their Morals and Ours (1938)* > -- *A means can be justified only by its end. But the end in its turn needs to be justified. (Also quoted as "The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end.") 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