Renegades gain legitimacy as Syria stymies talks

Damascus: As hope for a diplomatic solution to Syria's violence fades, international attention is turning to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) comprising renegade soldiers as an alternative means of toppling President Bashar Al Assad.

The FSA has in the past two months become an influential player in the ongoing confrontation between the Al Assad regime and the Syrian opposition. As the FSA's ranks have swelled with deserters from the regular Syrian forces as well as civilian recruits, it has driven an upsurge in attacks against regime forces.

The UN Security Council was yesterday slated to discuss a draft resolution submitted by Arab and European states that builds upon an Arab League plan for a peaceful transition of power in Syria. Under the plan, Al Assad would hand power to his deputy pending the formation of a national unity government within two months. Russia, which wields veto power on the UN Security Council, has opposed the resolution as it stands, saying it crosses a ‘red line' and is tantamount to ‘regime change.'

Widening gulf

Even if Russia were to accept a watered-down version of the resolution, analysts suspect it would make little difference on the ground in Syria, where the gulf between the regime and opposition has become too wide to bridge. Pushing for a UN resolution on Syria is one of the last steps the international community can take before pondering more seriously the military solution that some Syrian activists are openly advocating.

"In reality, a UN resolution is no longer necessary, and might even be counterproductive if it was phrased in such a way as to equate Al Assad's mindless crackdown with the legitimate rebellion it succeeded in instigating," US-based Syrian activist Ammar Abdul Hamid wrote in an online newsletter.

"What is needed at this stage is the ability and willingness to provide the necessary material and logistical support to the rebels and to provide protest leaders with the training and advice necessary to lead the transitional period themselves."

However, a decision to support the FSA could risk a backlash from the Syrian regime and its powerful allies in Iran and elsewhere, risking trouble beyond its borders. Backing an FSA campaign of attrition against the regime would see a surge in violence that could last many months before the balance falls in favour of the opposition.

— Christian Science Monitor