Who wants to know who's who in the Syrian opposition?

2015-10-08T08:26:54-04:00

ISW just published a detailed guide to Syrian opposition groups that participate in Military Operations Rooms -- i.e., groups that work together on military goals in a specific region.

http://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/syrian-opposition-guide-october-7-2015

Institute for the Study of War

This reference guide provides a baseline for identifying Syrian opposition groups. The guide aims to permit researchers to track how groups realign as the Russians commence operations. It seeks to inf

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Oct 8 at 2015 8:28 AM

2015-10-08T08:28:39-04:00

Interesting.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2015 9:40 AM

2015-10-08T09:40:29-04:00

It is always interesting to see how people perceive themselves. These are their stated aims - no word on their unstated goals - but helpful. I see that Al-Nusra and ISIS were not included.

What I get out of this is that opposition is fractured and parochial in their aims. Kind of a web of armed neighborhood watches. For Syrians working counter-insurgency, the goals of these groups are extremely easy to deny by making life difficult for these groups where they live, keeping them defensive and reactive, and eventually strangling them of needed resources.
No wonder the population is leaving in droves.
No wonder that the Syrian and Russian militaries are targeting neighborhoods. Not saying it is right, but this is how you win this type of fight when you are without morals.