DW writes, “According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have died in the civil war in Syria so far. The real number of dead is probably much higher. Many “Free Armies” have formed in the country, and they all want one thing: to topple Bashar al-Assad.”
DW: “Syria: Kurdish women soldiers against jihadists | Global 3000”
Yes, they all want Assad out. After that, things get difficult and as a wise man said, the enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend.
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.