Syria and its strong ally, Russia, condemned Friday US pledge to provide direct aid to rebel fighter, saying it would fuel more violence. On Thursday, Feb. 28, US Secretary of the State, John Kerry, after a meeting held in Rome by Arab and western friends of Syrian oppositions, said that his would provide direct support to rebel fighters while emphasizing that aid would not include armaments.
The commitment however interpreted as significant shift in US policy but falls short of the rebel demands from western backers to supply them with weapons and non-offensive military equipment, such as vehicles and body armor. The decision angered Russia which also has made moves which reflect that it has come to an understanding Assad’s government bound to collapse. “The decisions made in Rome as well as the statements, both in letter and spirit, give direct encouragement to extremists to take power by force, despite the unavoidable suffering of ordinary Syrians,” said its foreign ministry.
It gets really obsessing how the oppositions’ allies came to conclusion to bring an end to Assad’s regime. However, after robust presence of Jihadi groups, they wander whether to pour arms for appositions or not. If they do, what if those arms reach to Jihadist and finally pierce the chest of their very supporter in the west. If avoid to do so, than regional foes of Syria will try their best to topple his regime at any cost which may tilt the situation toward fundamentalists like Al-Nussra group which is a replica of Al-Qaeda.
The regional rivalry among countries is also something that cannot be neglected assessing the ongoing situation in Syria. Tehran has been supporting President since the very start of civil uprising. The supreme leader who is the ultimate decision maker in the country, Mr. Ayatollah Ali Khamenae often openly voiced out support for Damascus regime while condemning other regimes reacted similarly in the case of uprising breakout. While insisting that Arab countries are affected by more than 30-years old Islamic revolution in Iran, he links civil unrest in Syria to foreign intervention.
Therefore, the so-called proxy war and the dominant presence of Allawites, a minor who can hardly be branded as part of Shiite group, have further complicated the situation. Seemingly, all stakeholders are tittering up and down to find a solution to the deadlock but there is nothing to count on much. But this is Syrian people who ultimately shoulder all the burdens of continuous instability and unrest.