On Tuesday, December 24, activists said that a new round of Syrian government air raids on rebel-held areas of the northern city of Aleppo killed at least 15 people. The strikes extended the furious aerial assault by President Assad’s warplanes and helicopters on the embattled city into its tenth day. Rebellions said that more than 360 people were killed in the first nine days of the campaign which began on December 15. Another activist group, the Aleppo Media Center, said that at least 33 were killed and 150 others wounded. It added that the strikes were carried out by jets and helicopters. The soaring death toll and massive damage caused by air strikes brought about US and Britain to condemn the assault.

In reaction, the Western-backed Syrian opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, threatened it would not take part in UN-sponsored peace talks planned and brokered by US and Russia for Jan. 22 in Switzerland if the bombing campaign continues.The talks aim to find a political solution to Syria’s conflict, which has changed the country from once a strong Arab Nation into a war-torn one. The death toll has already hit the height. It increases tremendously but there is no promising measure for stoppage. According to UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights more than 120,000 people have lost lives within 31 months long civil movement that has turned into a full-fledged civil war. The group documented the murder of 120,296 people since the start of the revolution in March 2011. It has identified the dead figure of oppositions as well as government. Of the dead, 42,495 were civilians, including 6,365 children and 4,269 women. The remaining more than 75 thousand people all belong to either side.

So, based on the above figures, it appears that government loyalists’ casualties are so high. I am not a military expert but it is understandable that untrained mob who have received no military trainings is really hard to stand against a well-equipped and trained soldiers. There are rare incidents to observe that a military with strong establishment be overruled in the battle field with mob unless it collapsed itself. In the case of Syria, there are no signs to denote that serious leakage has happened in the military ranks despite considering the defection. Moreover, the military establishment of Syria was one of the strongest among neighboring countries. It should have stood strongly and dealt serious blow to armed oppositions. With all government power and resources at its hand, why the Syrian soldiers have appeared weak against rebellions? It is highly unlikely that civilians with no military experience challenge a government. We observed in all Arab countries that experienced the so called Arab spring, the military establishments were not abolished. In the case of Egypt, the military remained neutral between protesters and the regime. Now it is so strong that easily ousted the elected government and dragged him to court of law. In Bahrain, the government put an end to civil uprising once and for all though majority of the people stood against the regime. In Saudi Arabia, no one even dared to march into streets to protest against monarchy ruling.

The context of Syria is somehow different.  However, Allawite sect and particularly Assad family has dominant presence in the government, but there was not armed group to create headache for the Damascus. To some extent, all sects had presence in government with degrees of differences, because the regime is secular and does not differentiate on the basis of sect and religion. It is highly possible that Christians may dream the time of President Assad if it is overruled by current combination of Jihadists. Even now Kurd communities have been targeted maybe due to open and democratic culture that Kurds follow. If the Christians have still remained intact is largely due to tactical retreat in order not to lose the support of Western countries that largely support the uprising. It is possible if the Christian communities are targeted that will deprive armed groups from generous support flow from the rest of countries.

With such high support, militants could kill more than 29 thousand well-trained Syrian soldiers! If it happened at any small country, the government would have collapsed. Jihadists are poured from across the world in the Syria. They have received trainings somewhere in Africa or Asia under strong networks. They have the capability to overrule many countries if the world stay and watch them silently.

Therefore, all involved countries should notice that dust of Syrian war will one day blind their eyes too. It certainly will spill over.If countries that are presently supporting Jihadists and radical groups within the oppositions do not reassess their policies, all will one day regret. The only way to end the violence in the country is following a peaceful diplomatic way. The radical Jihadist groups increasingly taking assertive stance against somehow western-backed Syrian National Coalition. Indeed the Jihadists are taking power and marginalizing the relative democratic forces. They already voiced out opposition to any talk with Syrian government. They also said that anyone taking part in peaceful negotiation would be guilty of treachery against Syrian people. Such inflexible stance indeed will further complicate the situation and increase the Syrian miseries.