Image from syracuse.com
Almost a year after President Obama urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down he enforces his statement by signing a covert order to allow the CIA and other agencies to support Syrian rebels.
Publicly, the Obama administration has stated that it is assisting the rebels in Syria, but stopping short of directly arming the rebels. This includes $25 million worth of “non-lethal” aid—mostly for communication supplies.
Now, however, it is unclear what support the U.S. will give the rebels after the signing of this new covert order.
Foreign policy experts have been heard urging the Obama admisistration to arm the Syrian rebels. A few U.S. lawmakers, including John McCain, agree with this strategy and have scrutinized President Obama for not being more involved in Syria’s internal conflict.
Such as most things with war, the choice to arm Syrian rebels, like the Free Syrian Army (FSA), is no easy decision.
More aid will eventually help Syrian oust President Assad, a tactic that many world leaders, human rights activists, and…well, the majority of people with a soul have agreed upon. President Assad and his authoritative rule had come to an end, as decided by his countrymen in many peaceful protests across Syria in 2011. Unfortunately, Assad was not yet ready to leave power, and demonstrated his unwillingness by commanding troops to open lethal fire on the innocent protesters. Those soldiers who refused to do so were also executed.
Naturally, in the face of such conflict, the protests became less peaceful, more militant and, as more and more soldiers defected from the Syrian army, more organized. In July, the FSA blew up three government security chiefs and was able to capture Aleppo, the major city the North.
Currently the Syrian government is launching a large counter-attack to recapture the city. This doesn’t bode to well for the rebels. They’re going up against tanks, armed helicopters, mortars, and fighter jets armed with only Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and the knowledge that their cause is just that may make many of them more willing to sacrifice everything.
Not to mention that President Assad is ruthless in his attacks to assert his power. Recently, Assad had 30 unarmed civilians gunned down while they were praying in a mosque. Add to that that this is the month of Ramadan, a holy month for those of the Muslim faith, it is clear at just how cruel this man is.
So why is arming the Syrian rebels, who are fighting for a democratic civil-state, such a hard decision?
It is because many Jihadists—those committed to establishing an Islamic state by violent means—have started to appear on the battlefield in Syria.
The FSA considers jihadists a dangerous threat after in the next step towards their new Syria, but for now they say that their presence is limited. This is not supported by reports on the ground, however, and calls have been made out to other jihadists from nearby nations to come and help their Syrian brothers.
In other words, the assistance from the U.S. could end up in jihadist hands, something that will never be taken likely after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centers.
Mr. Obama’s decision to sign this covert action on Syria may be all it takes to help the rebels rid their country of Assad. The results have been promising in the past; President Obama has previously signed a covert order to authorize secret assistance to rebels in Libya in order to oust Muammar Gaddafi.
