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19Jan17

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The decline of the Free Syrian Army (FSA)

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The Free Syrian Army (FSA) was, and to some extent, still is, used to display opposition forces as "moderate" and "democratic." Although radical Islam and shariah law weren't core features of the FSA (at least not publicly), the group has always lacked religious diversity, with Sunni Muslims dominating its ranks.

This is in stark contrast to pro-government forces, and the actual Syrian government, who are made up of, and supported by Sunnis, Alawites, Shiites, Christians and Druze etc.

Furthermore, the FSA has had radicals members since its inception, and the organization regularly cooperates with hard-line Islamist groups, such as the ex-Al-Qaeda affiliate, Fateh al-Sham.

As the conflict in Syria has progressed, the FSA's strength and influence has rapidly fallen off, to a point where the group hardly exists. Even the small elements that do exist (as of January 2017) have radical Islamists in their ranks. As for the moderate troops, they are only fighting for financial gain, as they know it is impossible for them to score a decisive victory, and they are only postponing the inevitable.

As of early 2017, the FSA holds very little territory in Syria, and at best, their manpower is in the low thousands. FSA supporters and propagandists are trying to make the group seem larger and more significant than it actually is. An unofficial FSA twitter account recently tweeted an image, showing FSA forces in Latakia province.

The tweet listed groups with an Islamist agenda, and even portrayed fundamentally distinct groups as part of the FSA, such as the Sham Legion.

Ultimately, the only viable option which is capable of retaking all of Syria, and operating the country in a stable and secular manner is the Syrian government, which is currently led by President Bashar al-Assad.

[Source: By Suliman Mulhem, Al-Masdar Al-'Arabi, Tel Aviv, 19Jan17]

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This document has been published on 20Jan17 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.