One thing not covered in this otherwise fine article is the recently reported reluctance of Pres. Mahmoud Abbas to continue seeking an International Criminal Court investigation of Israel for war crimes - such an investigation being a possibility that Israel reportedly is apprehensive over.
Hezbollah successfully used anti-aircraft and air-to sea missiles against Israel in the Second Lebanon War in addition to deadly rocket attacks on cities such as Haifa - Israel hasn't invaded Lebanon since.
That said, I agree that Assad likely fears offending Israel in the least. The last thing the Baathists need is facing another armed incursion to spread their armed forces even thinner within Syria.
There has been very little media concern historically with Syria - a nation whose population is three times that of Israel and about equal with that of Iraq.
Comparatively few Americans are aware of the 30,000 massacred by the Hafez Assad regime at Hama in 1982, and it is likely few U.S. citizens outside the Syrian-American exile community have donated funds for refugee relief for displaced Syrians.
Sen. John McCain has been one of the few members of U.S. Congress that has been an outspoken supporter of aid to Syrians opposing the Baathist regime in Damascus.
The Syrian Support Group has a State Department license to solicit donations from the public for non-lethal aid to the Free Syrian Army. See: http://www.syriansupportgroup.org
The Assad regime has only left two garrisons inside Kurdish-controlled areas of Syria and the primary opponent of the Kurds at this time are largely foreign Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) fighters.
According to former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, in his recent speech at Tufts University shortly after resigning from the State Department, even Alawites in Assad's own hometown have been demonstrating against Assad and his support base across the spectrum of Syrian society has been crumbling but anti-Assad Alawites fear the possibility of reprisals from jihadists such as ISIS if the Assad regime falls.
This story underscores the fact that ISIS has been beneficial to the Assad regime in diverting anti-Baathist rebels from fighting the Syrian government to engagements against jihadist forces that are purportedly against the Assad regime.
In sum, ISIS has been a divisive force among Syrian rebels and likely has provided a net benefit to the Baathists who have raised fears of jihadist reprisals in the event of a rebel victory.
One thing not covered in this otherwise fine article is the recently reported reluctance of Pres. Mahmoud Abbas to continue seeking an International Criminal Court investigation of Israel for war crimes - such an investigation being a possibility that Israel reportedly is apprehensive over.
Here's the link:
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2014/09/abbas51021/
Hezbollah successfully used anti-aircraft and air-to sea missiles against Israel in the Second Lebanon War in addition to deadly rocket attacks on cities such as Haifa - Israel hasn't invaded Lebanon since.
That said, I agree that Assad likely fears offending Israel in the least. The last thing the Baathists need is facing another armed incursion to spread their armed forces even thinner within Syria.
There has been very little media concern historically with Syria - a nation whose population is three times that of Israel and about equal with that of Iraq.
Comparatively few Americans are aware of the 30,000 massacred by the Hafez Assad regime at Hama in 1982, and it is likely few U.S. citizens outside the Syrian-American exile community have donated funds for refugee relief for displaced Syrians.
Sen. John McCain has been one of the few members of U.S. Congress that has been an outspoken supporter of aid to Syrians opposing the Baathist regime in Damascus.
The Syrian Support Group has a State Department license to solicit donations from the public for non-lethal aid to the Free Syrian Army. See: http://www.syriansupportgroup.org
The Assad regime has only left two garrisons inside Kurdish-controlled areas of Syria and the primary opponent of the Kurds at this time are largely foreign Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) fighters.
According to former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, in his recent speech at Tufts University shortly after resigning from the State Department, even Alawites in Assad's own hometown have been demonstrating against Assad and his support base across the spectrum of Syrian society has been crumbling but anti-Assad Alawites fear the possibility of reprisals from jihadists such as ISIS if the Assad regime falls.
This story underscores the fact that ISIS has been beneficial to the Assad regime in diverting anti-Baathist rebels from fighting the Syrian government to engagements against jihadist forces that are purportedly against the Assad regime.
In sum, ISIS has been a divisive force among Syrian rebels and likely has provided a net benefit to the Baathists who have raised fears of jihadist reprisals in the event of a rebel victory.