Are Syria’s Rebels as Violent as Assad? - Global - the Atlantic Wire

Syrian rebels are starting to choke off the government’s access to its own country, bringing hope that the war may be slipping away from Bashar al-Assad. But the gains have also come with disturbing new signs — video decapitations, al Qaeda links, and more — that the rebels may end up nearly as brutal in victory as the regime they’re hoping to replace.

NBC News reports that ever larger patches of the country have fallen under the control of the rebels, with only the military strongholds like bases and presidential compounds in Damascus still belonging to the regime. In the Northern part of the country, near the city of Aleppo, “the rebels control the countryside and open roads, and the Syrian army only controls the bases and the skies.” Of course, controlling the skies is an incredibly powerful advantage in any war, so the government is still able to inflict heavy damage on the rebels, even if moral among the troops is lower than ever.

Meanwhile in Damascus, fighting has come with one mile of Assad’s office. One Mideast professor tells Reuters that Assad “is no longer the president of Syria, he is the governor of Damascus.” No matter strong his ability to fight back remains, there seems to be no question that his influence over the nation is shrinking and there’s no telling how long he can successfully hold out.

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