tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49037878167665224582024-03-06T00:17:57.625-05:00Syria SurveyThe Syria Survey focuses on ground level information about the Syrian rebels not covered in the media or blogosphere.Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-42926931988190508902013-11-17T12:59:00.001-05:002013-11-17T12:59:53.343-05:00Saudi Preacher Relocates to SyriaWhile most of the high-profile Gulf-based financiers sending money to Syrian rebel groups emerged in late 2011-mid 2012, there are late entrants still getting in the game. One of these sheikhs, referenced in a recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/13/world/middleeast/private-donors-funds-add-wild-card-to-war-in-syria.html?pagewanted=1&smid=tw-share" target="_blank">article</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/NYTBen" target="_blank">Ben Hubbard</a> detailing Kuwait's role as a conduit of funds from across the Gulf, is a Saudi citizen named Abdullah bin Muhamed al-Mohisni.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Mohisni preaching in Syria</b></td></tr>
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Although the Saudi government <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=447731861905170&id=447095431968813" target="_blank">shutdown</a> private charities openly fundraising for Syrian rebel groups in 2012, Mohisni's Jihad bi-Malik campaign is able to operate for two reasons. One, Mohisni directs potential donors to phone numbers based in Kuwait and Qatar where they receive instructions for sending funds. Two, unlike most financiers who remain in the Gulf while making regular trips to northern Syria, Mohisni relocated to Syria around fall 2013. This action has raised Mohisni's profile. Prominent preachers including Suleiman al-Alwan have publicly praised Mohisni for giving up his wealth and position preaching at his<a href="http://www.almohisni.com/site/?q=page/cv" target="_blank"> father's</a> mosque in Mecca to support the fighting in Syria.<br />
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Mohisni, whose uncle <a href="http://www.almokhtsar.com/node/135334" target="_blank">died</a> in Deir Ezzor in April 2013 fighting with Jabhat al-Nusra, is very open about financing al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliates. While other Gulf sheikhs are also financing Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State in Iraq and Sham (ISIS), they generally avoid distributing photos of themselves meeting with high profile leaders from these groups (although other people have distributed these images). Mohisni does not appear to have any inhibitions about posting photos of himself meeting with ISIS leaders.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Mohisni meeting with ISIS <br />commander Omar a-Shishani</b></td></tr>
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Like many other rebel financiers, Mohisni is also involved in more legitimate charity work. Mohisni actively supports the Jamia Rahma, a charity based in Mafraq, Jordan, which provides services to Syrian refugees. A number of celebrity Salafi sheikhs have participated in Jamia Rahma's programs including Mohamed Arifi and Nabil al-Auwadi. In general, the access that Salafi sheikhs now have to Syrian refugees is worrying as charitable work inevitably mixes with preaching. In fact, Mohisni <a href="http://rohamaa2012.com/spons/mhesne.html" target="_blank">praised</a> Jamia Rahma for focusing its efforts on preaching to refugees.<br />
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Kuwait and Qatar's unwillingness to dissolve networks publicly fundraising for Jihadi groups in Syria has undermined Saudi efforts to shutdown financiers in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, prominent Salafi sheikhs are not only influencing the battlefield by providing money and fighters to sometimes foreign-led Jihadi groups, they are also influencing the next generation of Syrians through organized preaching to a vulnerable Syrian population.<br />
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<br />Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-12888055107074798182013-07-26T16:53:00.000-04:002014-01-09T21:53:17.695-05:00Kuwaiti Financiers Get a Martyr<div class="p1">
In late June, Syria Survey <a href="http://syriasurvey.blogspot.com/2013/06/rebel-financiers-flock-to-northern-syria.html" target="_blank">reported</a> that the rebels’ Gulf financiers were regularly traveling to northern Syria for battlefield visits with their clients. This week, Kuwait’s Ajmi clan, among the most prolific of the Gulf financiers, <a href="http://kuwait.tt/articledetails.aspx?Id=293151" target="_blank">announced</a> that clan member Saud Faiz al-Huwila al-Ajmi was killed in Idlib province during the mid July fighting near the village of Basanqul. The recent clashes at Basanqul were notable for the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHYCXGi94p0" target="_blank">destruction</a> of a bridge that spanned the Aleppo-Latakia highway.</div>
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Rebel groups involved in the fighting at Basanqul included the Daoud Brigade, Ahrar al-Sham and Deraa al-Thawra. It is unknown which group Saud was with at the time of his death, but only Ahrar al-Sham, a known Ajmi <a href="http://syriasurvey.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-kuwaiti-supply-network.html" target="_blank">beneficiary</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Ahraralsham/status/359980922222804992" target="_blank">reported</a> his death on their social media account.</div>
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Hajaj al-Ajmi, who told Kuwaiti media that Saud did his work in secret and avoided media attention, is now using the memory of Saud to raise more funds for the Syrian rebels.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRd6UVc9NiqxtFK1K7lSyAhStntNwBN_vwvQtiyvYW2JRhzsLkMZEx3ODbJwjwHWxA9KOliHaCo87zbrbeFGQJIEbgHS_yY0z4o3Ov7yfRkV3hJLx7zX9g106ADEinu21Hc-zZDauMh4/s1600/al-Huwila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRd6UVc9NiqxtFK1K7lSyAhStntNwBN_vwvQtiyvYW2JRhzsLkMZEx3ODbJwjwHWxA9KOliHaCo87zbrbeFGQJIEbgHS_yY0z4o3Ov7yfRkV3hJLx7zX9g106ADEinu21Hc-zZDauMh4/s400/al-Huwila.jpg" height="245" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Hajaj al-Ajmi fundraising poster using <br />
Saud Faiz al-Huwilal al-Ajmi's memory </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwRY_uOMFQS64EuQMawzKXmlFUbtWKdhJeQk7PIBOvO7LzIpC2cAyAYVED2-ZLeQGFQFfIM_M9tMB8T81p5kxKjYLh8JawIhITi1Oetm86Ua4F0KexRdCQ47p05L60T20BDHNqyAzaWk/s1600/al-huwila2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwRY_uOMFQS64EuQMawzKXmlFUbtWKdhJeQk7PIBOvO7LzIpC2cAyAYVED2-ZLeQGFQFfIM_M9tMB8T81p5kxKjYLh8JawIhITi1Oetm86Ua4F0KexRdCQ47p05L60T20BDHNqyAzaWk/s200/al-huwila2.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saud Faiz al-Huwila<br />
al-Ajmi</td></tr>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-30338422878613734602013-07-05T21:29:00.000-04:002013-07-06T06:57:46.629-04:00A Former UAE Colonel Dies in Syria<div class="p1">
It is well know that Muslim males, from teenagers to middle aged men, are travelling to Syria to fight, and in some cases die, with the Sunni rebels. The stories of some of these martyrs, which are told on social media and <a href="https://flashpoint-intel.com/upload/syria_martyrs/2013-06-02_Convoy_of_Martyrs_Report.pdf" target="_blank">web forums</a>, tie together events from across the Muslim world. Muhamed al-Abdouli from the Fujairah Emirate in the UAE is one of these martyrs. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJTyz6tzRisBSXX1hvx0UCfmjhSiOi7yYuyWG-vlLiXMFGyNy9yzZgcKVfcBJLA4dehyuRHYIlJI9k4yk30f3sue2so6jaG6r7HzJ_Q0varpY87JMz75xMx2f5ilSiVpDzoSYQW-Y0bo/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-07-05+at+1.51.09+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJTyz6tzRisBSXX1hvx0UCfmjhSiOi7yYuyWG-vlLiXMFGyNy9yzZgcKVfcBJLA4dehyuRHYIlJI9k4yk30f3sue2so6jaG6r7HzJ_Q0varpY87JMz75xMx2f5ilSiVpDzoSYQW-Y0bo/s320/Screen+shot+2013-07-05+at+1.51.09+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">al-Abdouli as an officer in the UAE military</td></tr>
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As a young man, al-Abdouli joined the UAE's military, rising through the ranks to colonel. Despite his successful military career, al-Abdouli got involved in opposition politics and was reportedly imprisoned in 2005 without a trial. At some point, al-Abdouli became the <a href="https://twitter.com/emiratesop/status/314392309892517889" target="_blank">head</a> of the Emirati <a href="http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/57896/World/Region/Kuwait-summons-Islamist-activist-over-yearold-arti.aspx" target="_blank">Hezb al-Umma</a> (Party of the Nation), an Islamist Gulf opposition movement with parties in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.</div>
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While maintaining his position atop the Emirati Hezb al-Umma, al-Abdouli traveled to Syria sometime in 2012 where he joined the Salafi rebel group <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no2uGzmNIU8" target="_blank">Ahrar al-Sham</a>. al-Abdouli reportedly participated in several high profile battles including the capture of the Taftanaz and Jarah airbases, as well as Raqqa City where he <a href="http://www.akhbar-alkhaleej.com/12766/article/11438.html" target="_blank">died </a>in early March 2013.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">al-Abdouli making a statement from the cockpit<br />
of a captured fighter jet at Jarah Airbase</td></tr>
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Al-Abdouli's story highlights a few interesting things. One is the depth of Hezb al-Umma's involvement with Syrian rebel groups. Not only did al-Abdouli, the head of Hezb al-Umma in the UAE, die fighting with the rebels, but both Hakem al-Matiri, head of Hezb al-Umma Kuwait, and Muhamed Mufrah, a l<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIeRrxNQwWg" target="_blank">eader</a> of Hezb al-Umma in Saudi Arabia, are <a href="http://syriasurvey.blogspot.com/2013/06/rebel-financiers-flock-to-northern-syria.html" target="_blank">involved</a> in <a href="http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n04/ghaith-abdul-ahad/how-to-start-a-battalion-in-five-easy-lessons" target="_blank">financing</a> Syrian rebel groups. This legacy of supporting a revolutionary movement overwhelmingly popular in the Sunni Muslim world may increase the appeal of Hezb al-Umma as it continues to challenge the authority of the Gulf monarchies.</div>
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Second, al-Abdouli's story highlights the diversity of experience that foreign fighters bring to the battlefield. Not only do foreign fighters range from young muslim males with no military experience to young men who have fought in Libyan or Iraqi armed groups, but some have learned military trade craft as <a href="http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-07-01/world/40294177_1_rebels-captain-relatives" target="_blank">officers</a> in Middle Eastern militaries backed by the West.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">al-Abdouli (bottom right) with Mohamed al-Mafrah (top left)<br />
and Hakim al-Matiri (top row, second from left)</td></tr>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-3456421815257088512013-06-30T17:23:00.001-04:002013-06-30T17:23:51.645-04:00Rebel Financiers Flock to Northern Syria
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPtO9pqSkJLk6d9KnW-ktU9hKqPwFBW4U-BRSoL1dYl6fI2B9FbVseJ_josXmalfYASIPPvtW8iCtoxilMu07Rjtnbd1kmz9j4XC4ZPo-mvTG_qOYAJzBw4EbuMGS4-q4D-ueGI_6AWE/s665/ajmi-Irshid.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPtO9pqSkJLk6d9KnW-ktU9hKqPwFBW4U-BRSoL1dYl6fI2B9FbVseJ_josXmalfYASIPPvtW8iCtoxilMu07Rjtnbd1kmz9j4XC4ZPo-mvTG_qOYAJzBw4EbuMGS4-q4D-ueGI_6AWE/s320/ajmi-Irshid.png" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> al-Hajri (left) and al-Ajmi (right) in <br />Northern Syria</td></tr>
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Sheikhs in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and across the Gulf are financing Syrian rebel groups. Those leading the fundraising efforts are making regular trips to northern Syria, taking advantage of the opportunity for photo ops with weaponry and prominent rebel beneficiaries for use as fundraising tools.</div>
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One of the most prolific sheikhs involved in the financing effort, <a href="http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-06-15/world/39993019_1_rebel-groups-united-arab-emirates-sheik" target="_blank">Hajaj al-Ajmi</a>, along with his fundraising partner Irshid al-Hajri, traveled to northern Syria in late-Spring 2013. Their itinerary included a stop at Maarat al-Numan, <span class="s1">located approximately 60km from rebel controlled border crossings with Turkey. Al-Ajmi delivered a sermon at </span>a Maarat al-Numan mosque and the delegation visited the nearby Wadi Deif battlefield (and took pictures).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">al-Ajmi delivering a sermon at a<br />mosque in Maarat al-Numan</td></tr>
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Other Gulf sheikhs are making similar trips as well. Muhamed al-Mafrah from the Saudi opposition party, <a href="http://www.islamicommaparty.com/Portals/default/" target="_blank">Hezb al-Umma al-Islamiya</a>, visited members of the Umma Brigade earlier this year, also at Wadi Deif. Meanwhile Muhamed al-Owaihan, a young Kuwaiti financier <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekweUeEVJXM&feature=player_embedded#at=36" target="_blank">accompanied</a> Ahrar al-Sham on their May 2013 capture of the Shabiba military base located in Idlib Province on the Aleppo-Latakia highway.</div>
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These trips appear to be effective fundraising tools. In addition to providing the sheikhs with opportunities to transfer cash directly to rebel beneficiaries, the sheikhs often take and disseminate attention-grabbing photos from the battlefield that can help with fundraising efforts. Inspiring statements from inside Syria, posted on YouTube and promoted on Twitter, are another common product of these trips. One fundraising <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72juxQNMt7k&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">video</a> by Hajaj al-Ajmi recorded in Syria received over 60,000 views on YouTube. Trips to northern Syria are used by Gulf sheikhs to establish their bonafides with battlefield appearances and attract increased attention from donors back home.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mafrah looking the part in front of an<br /> Umma Brigade flag</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mafrah posing with Hitham Abu al-Farouq, <br />leader of the Umma Brigade</td></tr>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-41214777144998015492013-04-07T18:49:00.000-04:002013-04-11T09:12:45.423-04:00Housam Najjair Planning a Return to Tripoli<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/housamnajjair" target="_blank">Housam Najjair</a>, a veteran of both the Libyan and Syrian revolts, is preparing to reenter the fray in post-Qaddafi Libya. I spoke with Najjair recently and it was clear that he is frustrated with those who have emerged politically empowered by the revolutions. Old-guard politicians in Libya, and religious extremists in Syria.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Najjair (left) in Libya during the <br />
revolution</td></tr>
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Najjair, an Irish citizen of Libyan decent, is the brother-in-law of Mehdi al-Harati. Harati was the leader of the Tripoli Brigade which played a crucial role in the battle for the Libyan capital in 2011. Najjair‘s exploits as a sniper in the Tripoli Brigade were <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R605xjoi2I4" target="_blank">documented</a> by journalists from France 24, bringing Najjair fame in Europe. Najjair then traveled with Harati to northern Syria where they <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWqdFqF-Hmo" target="_blank">established</a> the Uma Brigade around Kafr Nabl. The Libyan leaders of the brigade were later <a href="https://twitter.com/housamnajjair/status/307588498670624768" target="_blank">prevented</a> from reentering Syria by the Turkish government, at which point the brigade came under Syrian leadership.</div>
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After leaving Syria, Najjair returned to Ireland where he wrote a book on his experiences in Libya entitled “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SoldierForASummer?ref=hl" target="_blank">Soldier for a Summer</a>.” Najjair stated that he did not write the book not to encourage young Arab males in Europe to fight against Middle Eastern dictators, but as a form of therapy to help him digest the combat experience he went through without the benefit of any real tactical training or psychological preparation. He described the flow of foreign fighters into Syria as a “bitter sweet” phenomenon. “It is a bitter feeling to have children filling the boots of the international community, and sweet because people have to much of a conscience to let this go without a response.”</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurY4GrSaV27lcv_qkamxTkBvisszNlvZBYHndWbRaCJZppb9EQmhjjjAl0MbKKWZXeVm5lSMy4rSt_2ax2i3cuWnOPoWlREphFdFrv5FRjew-r_yznul8eA6Jf8Mcmvbqn3Exq1JbtNg/s1600/ajjair+harati.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurY4GrSaV27lcv_qkamxTkBvisszNlvZBYHndWbRaCJZppb9EQmhjjjAl0MbKKWZXeVm5lSMy4rSt_2ax2i3cuWnOPoWlREphFdFrv5FRjew-r_yznul8eA6Jf8Mcmvbqn3Exq1JbtNg/s200/ajjair+harati.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Najjair (left) with Mehdi al-Harati (right) <br />
in Syria during the summer of 2012</td></tr>
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<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
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Najjair is highly critical of the international community’s insufficient response to the war in Syria. He believes that the diminutive flow of weapons into the country from the West has empowered extremist groups that have other, well-developed, sources of weapons. He singled out Jabhat Nusrah for criticism, asking why they are concerned with how people are dressed during a time of war. He said that these actions have caused him to “question their true loyalty.”</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
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In Libya, Najjair feels that the country is being run by “dinosaurs” left over from the old regime. After the fall of Qaddafi, Najjair explained, the old guard politicians were worried that the revolutionaries would come looking for them to settle old scores. When this did not happen, they returned to their old professions. Najjair feels that the same people who ran the country for decades have regained power, locking out the young revolutionaries who want change.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Democracy, according to Najjair, has not succeeded in Libya. In addition to empowering the wrong people, it has fostered divisions within Libyan society at a time when unity is crucial. He said that “The unity of the revolution didn’t last a week after the fall of the regime.” </div>
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<br /></div>
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He is also concerned that democracy will destroy Libya’s conservative culture. He fears the arrival of nightclubs and alcohol on Libya’s Mediterranean beaches. The local reaction to the recent <a href="http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/03/26/alcohol-poisoning-deaths-hit-101/" target="_blank">poisoning</a> of a number of people in Tripoli after drinking bootleg alcohol indicates that Najjair probably is correct in asserting that most Libyans would not support this, but he fears that unbridled democracy may allow it to occur nonetheless. Najjair stated that he does not favor of a Sharia state, but later said that he could support some elements of Sharia if it was necessary to protect Libya’s conservative society.<br />
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Najjair (right) speaks with NATO Secretary<br />
General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in 2011</td></tr>
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Najjair said that he plans to return to Tripoli in the near future. He wants to use his unique ability to speak to the media to build bridges and help Libya move forward. It will be interesting to see what role he comes to play in the cynical world of post-revolutionary politics.</div>
Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-70326934358553399462013-04-03T23:18:00.000-04:002013-04-11T13:05:03.729-04:00Reports of Iranians Fighting in Syria<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Reports of Iranians fighting in Syria heated up this week. First, on April 2, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights <a href="http://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/syrian-observatory-for-human-rights-iranians-fighting-in/" target="_blank">reported</a> that members of the National Defense Forces, a pro-regime paramilitary group, claimed that “Iranian combatants have been taking part in the Syrian conflict since approximately a month.” The members of the National Defense Forces claimed to have received training in Iran, then returned to Syria with Iranian fighters who were given Syrian I.D.s.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span>
<div class="p2">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">
<div class="p1">
On April 3, Muhanad Issa, leader of the Shuhada Idlib Brigade, gave an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGxeQbNH8Oc&feature=youtu.be"><span class="s1">interview</span></a> on Orient TV on clashes near Idlib Province’s Shia villages of Fua and Kafaraya. In the interview, Issa claimed that his men were facing Iranian fighters. A <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Martyrs.Idlib/posts/440429576041612"><span class="s1">post</span></a> then appeared on Shuhada Idlib’s Facebook page in which the brigade claimed to have killed one Iranian and captured another during clashes near the Shiite villages. In February, Ben Hubbard <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/16/hundreds-kidnapped-in-syria_n_2701376.html"><span class="s2">reported</span></a> that a spate of kidnappings have been escalating between the Shia villages of Fua and Kafaraya on one side and surrounding Sunni villages such as Binnish on the other.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2bmeNSiNyK_xw7K_rVkoWHIE_Bz-1mpCgvkGZhTFHJkqtA7vnkbwWy0zFRCx4b-FHTDWSmjujzlksVOuF1FTtc8Sm4EYoFQiu4SJS_2TmsnZCtAtu-exXe2YYkmcc7fMEO55ca_nOw4/s1600/issa+iranian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2bmeNSiNyK_xw7K_rVkoWHIE_Bz-1mpCgvkGZhTFHJkqtA7vnkbwWy0zFRCx4b-FHTDWSmjujzlksVOuF1FTtc8Sm4EYoFQiu4SJS_2TmsnZCtAtu-exXe2YYkmcc7fMEO55ca_nOw4/s320/issa+iranian.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muhanad Issa (left) holding the identification papers of his <br />
Iranian hostage (right)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
Later on April 3, Orient TV posted an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ienaexw5mAY&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">interview</a> between Issa and the captured Iranian. In the video, the Iranian, speaking in broken Arabic, claimed to have been in Syria for five months in order to train pro-regime fighters. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
The Shuhada Idlib Brigade clearly believes that it has captured an Iranian fighter. Given the individual's age and presence in an intense war zone, I am inclined to believe Shuahada Idlib’s claims, although it should be noted that they do not match up with the report from the National Defense Forces. Shuhada Idlib’s Iranian captive claims to have been in Syria for five months not one, and in the video Issa displays the captive’s Iranian papers. It is possible, however, that small groups of Iranian fighters have been sent to different locations at different times.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizJjb3OC0M1KDNcNqi35xRFbCgegU518C8O17zai1d8PQw841CYbJFHj0lxuqIn8hGyZAThvk9TCNR9WNopOt0m5vjXnLBfjFITiRuIgDEPazQbI9s9tf8xiwRYjl-beuQ_IC4iQSzoo/s1600/iranian+fighter+map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizJjb3OC0M1KDNcNqi35xRFbCgegU518C8O17zai1d8PQw841CYbJFHj0lxuqIn8hGyZAThvk9TCNR9WNopOt0m5vjXnLBfjFITiRuIgDEPazQbI9s9tf8xiwRYjl-beuQ_IC4iQSzoo/s400/iranian+fighter+map.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
1) Maarat Misrin</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2) Kafarya</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3) Fua</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4) Binnish</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
5) Taftanaz</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
6) Idlib City</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ha_feHplZhMj3Q-dTfR6GqO0KCfIQ1_NVbfjvEntmVMBEDBrJGQcsG2K5imnX4p6_w5WVxmTmq4LQD4_t0SBLXW4VRJH_0HB36gOrKjyKLk4ewSQDci-1_mX13CVTRyGUoVpHGWk0UU/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-03+at+11.10.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ha_feHplZhMj3Q-dTfR6GqO0KCfIQ1_NVbfjvEntmVMBEDBrJGQcsG2K5imnX4p6_w5WVxmTmq4LQD4_t0SBLXW4VRJH_0HB36gOrKjyKLk4ewSQDci-1_mX13CVTRyGUoVpHGWk0UU/s320/Screen+shot+2013-04-03+at+11.10.46+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screen Shot of Iranian Identification papers from the interview <br />
between Issa and the Iranian Captive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</span><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-68487743489511740122013-03-25T12:35:00.003-04:002013-04-06T10:48:55.534-04:00The Umma Brigade's Political Manifesto<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Syrian rebel leadership may hold more sway over the revolution's political future than the Syrian opposition's external political leadership which is falling back into <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%22http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/syrian-opposition-in-disarray-as-its-leader-resigns/2013/03/24/16523304-94ba-11e2-95ca-dd43e7ffee9c_story" target="_blank">disarray</a> after showing encouraging signs of cohesion. It is therefor important to understand the rebels' political goals. Most groups have not detailed any vision for post-Assad Syria while others have given broad descriptions of the state they seek to build. The Umma Brigade, an Islamist rebel formation operating in northern Syria, is fairly unique in that they published a detailed political manifesto in December 2012.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Umma Brigade has been widely <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%22"><span style="color: #2c2cf6; text-decoration: underline;">covered</span></a> in western press. It’s founder, Mehdi al-Harati, is an Irish-Libyan who participated in the Gaza Flotilla in 2010, before <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjkUYLXyrGU" target="_blank">leading</a> the Thuwar Libya Brigade into Tripoli in 2011. He then served as Deputy Head of the Tripoli Military Council before relocating to Syria in the spring of 2012 to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SFcvO5E0mE" target="_blank">found</a> the Umma Brigade in Kafr Nabl. With funding from <a href="http://syriasurvey.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-kuwaiti-supply-network.html" target="_blank">sheikhs in Kuwait</a>, the Umma Brigade rapidly expanded and gained a reputation for being well supplied and trained relative to many FSA groups. The Umma Brigade is an Islamist group and has even been referred to as "Salafist" in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=172868292855609&set=pb.128605667281872.-2207520000.1356884123&type=3&theater" target="_blank">report</a> published by the Idlib Revolutionary Council.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In the fall of 2012, the core of the Umma Brigade got bogged down in the fight for <a href="http://syriasurvey.blogspot.com/2012/12/who-is-responsible-for-failure-at-wadi.html" target="_blank">Wadi Deif </a>along with many Idlib rebel groups. Around that time, the brigade’s Libyan leadership was reportedly<a href="https://twitter.com/housamnajjair/status/307588498670624768" target="_blank"> barred</a> from reentering Syria by the Turkish government. The brigade has since been under Syrian leadership. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In late December, the Umma Brigade <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/132265404/The-Umma-Brigade-s-Political-Manifesto" target="_blank">published a document</a> entitled “a political vision for establishing a system of government.” This political manifesto laid out 25 guiding principles for a future Syrian state. Some of the significant clauses are translated below.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">While this document has some relatively liberal clauses regarding religious and ethnic pluralism, it also includes deeply troubling phrases for those in favor of a secular state. For example, the first clause cites Sharia as "the reference for all state affairs," and clause 14, gives the state a role in the “prevention of vice and promotion of virtue,” a phrase often used to justify the establishment of religious police. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">While there is little risk of this document being implemented in the near term, it does provide a window into the type of constitution that Islamist rebel groups are likely to promote in the future. </span></div>
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<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Significant Clauses:</span></u></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1) “Islam and Sharia (Book and Sunna) is the reference for all state affairs including the constitutional, political, legislative, judicial, economic and media.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2) “The People are the source of power through direct and free elections”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">5) “The separation of powers between the executive, legislative, judicial and financial institutions as did the caliphs”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">8) “Respect for human rights and dignity”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">9) “Respect for religious and ethnic pluralism and cultural components of the Syrian people. There is no compulsion in religion, nor the persecution of minorities on the basis of religion or nationality.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">10) “The protection of individual freedoms and privacy in their homes, meetings and contacts, and no spying on them.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">12) “Justice, equality and equal opportunities for all, in public, in front of the judiciary, and in all that is shared by society, without any discrimination.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">13) “Promote the positive role of women in society, and approve all their legitimate political, social, economic, scientific and professional rights, as stated in the Hadith (women are the sisters of men).”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">14) “Carry the message of Islam to the world, and the Dawa to it in everyway, in word and deed. strengthen the position of the jurists, scholars, and preachers, and provide whatever help to them in carrying out their responsibilities… and the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice…The promotion of ethical values…and protection of the family and the people, and promote science, culture, and knowledge. Care for the Arabic language and literature, connecting the nation to its religion and its faith as well as its identity, history, and civilization”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">16) “Open the way for civil society to do all activity it needs, whether political, professional, cultural, or legal, by allowing the establishment of advocacy groups, charities, trade unions, and political organizations.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">18) “Protection of private property, and maintenance of public funds”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">19) “Protection of agricultural, residential and pastoral land…and the distribution of land to everyone equally.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">24) “Rejection of any foreign aggression on any Islamic country<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman';">.</span> The right of the nation to resist aggression, and liberate their land…and for the district of the Zionist entity, a refusal to deal with it, and work for the liberation of the land of Palestine, and retrieval of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the right of the Palestinian people abroad return to their land, and establish their own. Reject any agreements or treaties which waive any rights of the nation to an inch of its land or interests. There is no recognition of those treaties.”</span></div>
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The Manifesto:<br />
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<div nbsp="" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/132265404/The-Umma-Brigade-s-Political-Manifesto" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View The Umma Brigade's Political Manifesto on Scribd">The Umma Brigade's Political Manifesto</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/AB543" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View AB543's profile on Scribd">AB543</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.706896551724138" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_39666" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/132265404/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-2cuhtuaxrg9ges7r8psz" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-25953047666263840612013-03-06T18:35:00.002-05:002013-03-09T19:47:23.121-05:00The Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade and The Capture of the UN Troops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade Logo</td></tr>
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The Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, <a href="http://youtu.be/MgKqR_zMDUk" target="_blank">formed</a> in the late summer of 2012, is based around the village of Sahem in southwestern Deraa Province near the intersection of Jordan, Syria, and the Golan Heights. Although the brigade's area of operations is confined to the southwestern region, the brigade <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Battalion.Yarmouk/posts/559584020723844" target="_blank">claimed</a> to carry out a suicide attack in Busra al-Sham, far to the east, on November 18, 2012. This attack is unconfirmed.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/world/europe/syria-developments.html?hp" target="_blank">capture</a> of the UN troops was not the brigade's first abduction. In late December 2012, the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade posted a <a href="http://youtu.be/oF1NpuuELYc" target="_blank">video</a> of four pro-regime fighters captured by the Golan Martyrs Battalion, a component of the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade. In early February, the brigade posted another <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=607910859224493" target="_blank">video</a> of a pro-regime fighter captured by the Golan Martyrs Battalion. There are also <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/06/us-syria-crisis-execution-idUSBRE92519120130306" target="_blank">reports</a> that Human Rights Watch is investigating the brigade for executing some captives.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLIffF-1Y7YD7Mil1aqgfr3ksf01pVBX-KULZbY98vex3Qk6QOii2gz_MaGo-hhR5Tl5swQB9jXc0gBbhMJ-LtUiEVCJtQWj2F_DZqHkJd3-VkGNvFT03GJRb3mJS5hKfByqFBh2oj7Q/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-06+at+5.45.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLIffF-1Y7YD7Mil1aqgfr3ksf01pVBX-KULZbY98vex3Qk6QOii2gz_MaGo-hhR5Tl5swQB9jXc0gBbhMJ-LtUiEVCJtQWj2F_DZqHkJd3-VkGNvFT03GJRb3mJS5hKfByqFBh2oj7Q/s200/Screen+shot+2013-03-06+at+5.45.53+PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The UN water truck is visible in the background <br />
of this image from a Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade<br />
YouTube video</td></tr>
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As of early March, the brigade is <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=616218931727019&set=a.553992654616314.146599.553720751310171&type=1" target="_blank">attacking</a> regime convoys in the area of Jamla, a village only 1.5 km east of the UN patrolled border with the Golan Heights. This is occurring in the context of a larger <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN4PqNgS8nQ&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">battle</a> against Regiment 61, located in the vicinity of the village of Maaria to the south. This battle may partly explain the <a href="http://t.co/iki0jOCs3D" target="_blank">capture</a> of the UN convoy in the vicinity of Jamla. In the original statement announcing the capture of the UN troops posted on the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade Facebook page, the brigade accused the UN of bringing water and other assistance of the besieged pro-regime forces. This statement was later taken down and replaced with a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=619044418111137&set=a.553992654616314.146599.553720751310171&type=1" target="_blank">new statement</a> in which the brigade claimed to be holding the UN forces for their own protection and called on the UN to safely extract them from Syria.<br />
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Broadly speaking, the UN is not particularly popular with the rebels. In late January, the Idlib Revolutionary Council posted a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Edlib.Revo.Council/posts/437591596311557" target="_blank">statement</a> declaring the UN unwelcome in Idlib province as a result of the UN's willingness to work with the Assad regime to get aid into Syria. </div>
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The fact that the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade replaced the original, more hostile statement, with a far more conciliatory statement bodes well for the captured UN troops. It is a clear indication that the brigade is responding positively to the pressure it is likely receiving from actors outside Syria as well as fellow rebels in Deraa Province.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">1) Sahem</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">3) Jamla</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1qSgdo3g5FpTB8hjK-CqU2lost1wEgpRB_pYSXGWW0Wmod3Kaa4g8RAYemdMCaJRDRzNg9WizLHuKnrx4UdRwG8qvIid-Igh29bvvyy24J2hIn9ZkOdGtd89B0gGSaT4t7cLZxxP7JQ/s1600/statement+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1qSgdo3g5FpTB8hjK-CqU2lost1wEgpRB_pYSXGWW0Wmod3Kaa4g8RAYemdMCaJRDRzNg9WizLHuKnrx4UdRwG8qvIid-Igh29bvvyy24J2hIn9ZkOdGtd89B0gGSaT4t7cLZxxP7JQ/s1600/statement+2.png" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Second Statement</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiLRzhlb2QXQuK3bw7GTIybBulYsidIrEkiGDZo3jTFinPYyh3jKxxLAHoqiKOlVePLm2FeO4LMRIsixMKrUa8prvUyt0ob5J3XmkOyXP23346Me2ofWYF2MQawA6kRuJbJ6IPEFvNT8/s1600/Original+Statement.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiLRzhlb2QXQuK3bw7GTIybBulYsidIrEkiGDZo3jTFinPYyh3jKxxLAHoqiKOlVePLm2FeO4LMRIsixMKrUa8prvUyt0ob5J3XmkOyXP23346Me2ofWYF2MQawA6kRuJbJ6IPEFvNT8/s1600/Original+Statement.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The original statement which was taken down shortly <br />after it was posted</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-44831632107006319072013-03-04T21:47:00.000-05:002013-06-06T13:50:21.223-04:00The Struggle to Feed Northern SyriaLocal councils in northern Syria are continuously scrambling to feed the residents of their towns. This has provided an opening for Jihadi groups to play the role of provider. David Kirkpatrick of the New York Times published an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/01/world/middleeast/syrian-civilians-take-reins-in-test-of-self-government.html?ref=world&pagewanted=all&_r=1&" target="_blank">article</a> this past week detailing Jabhat al-Nusrah’s role in providing flour at a reduced rate to the Tilalyan local council in northern Aleppo Province. Jabhat al-Nusrah is not the only Jihadi group providing supplies to local councils.<br />
<br />
In mid-February, the Sarmada Local Council <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Majles.sarmada/posts/146096868887462" target="_blank">announced</a> that Ahrar al-Sham, a loose network of Jihadi groups that often conduct joint operations with Jabhat al-Nusrah, provided five days worth of flour to the council. The council is fortunate that is does not rely solely on Ahrar al-Sham for its flour. It also receives assistance from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MjlsAladartAlmhlytAlthwryFyBldtSrmda/posts/146409182189564" target="_blank">local merchants</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MjlsAladartAlmhlytAlthwryFyBldtSrmda/posts/147619252068557" target="_blank">reported</a> receiving over ten days worth of flour from the National Coalition which was supplied by the UAE's Red Crescent. As with many towns, the Sarmada Local Council is endlessly searching for benefactors to get them through another week.<br />
<br />
The UN is the international body best equipped to address the problem, but it is hampered by legal requirements. It can only enter Syria when permitted by the Assad regime and the Assad regime will only allow the UN to bring in aid through the border crossings that it controls, none of which are in Idlib or Aleppo. The UN has alternate routes into the northwest, but has only been able to make <a href="http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,,,SYR,,511c9ec02,0.html" target="_blank">two large aid deliveries</a>, and is facing some <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Edlib.Revo.Council/posts/437591596311557" target="_blank">resentment</a> by local opposition groups. In any case, the UN is facing a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/as-syrian-refugee-population-nears-1-million-relief-agencies-cannot-keep-up/2013/03/04/1f0bf5f2-80f6-11e2-a350-49866afab584_story_1.html" target="_blank">budget shortfall</a> making it difficult to feed refugees living in UN administered camps, never mind those still in Syria.<br />
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Although the involvement of Jihadi groups in relief efforts is worrying, they are unlikely to gain the undivided loyalty of the northern Syrians by being just one of many aid providers. It will, however, complicate western efforts to isolate these groups. They not only fight well, but they are helping families eat.<br />
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-46397002968462244542013-02-25T08:17:00.000-05:002013-03-25T18:03:01.361-04:00The Omari Brigade, A Recipient of the External Arms Supply in Deraa<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Liz Sly and Karen DeYoung published an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-syria-new-influx-of-weapons-to-rebels-tilts-the-battle-against-assad/2013/02/23/a6bf2bc0-7dfb-11e2-9073-e9dda4ac6a66_story.html" target="_blank">article</a> last week, based on research by a British blogger named Elliot Higgins as well as conversations with Arab officials, asserting that Arab states allied with the US are supplying mainstream rebel groups in the southern Syrian province of Deraa with new weapons. The article states that the effort is designed to increase the power of moderate rebel groups relative to their extremist counterparts, as well as help the rebels make a push toward Damascus, located just north of Deraa. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboyqoQ5njSHmp8YF4W9nJduKkbE0i2AQfoLFuPxkCZx16LGJjV8h88AxqiKfL3Yx_BsfICErzxFir_P8_AlTcE4tTWj_zzzLquKsb-STNr3DnVAsE7eHjPhYMnadIE80Jvo4DTOXXCWM/s1600/qatanah.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboyqoQ5njSHmp8YF4W9nJduKkbE0i2AQfoLFuPxkCZx16LGJjV8h88AxqiKfL3Yx_BsfICErzxFir_P8_AlTcE4tTWj_zzzLquKsb-STNr3DnVAsE7eHjPhYMnadIE80Jvo4DTOXXCWM/s200/qatanah.png" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Qais Qatanah (left) meeting with a <br />UN official</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">One of the rebel formations <a href="http://brown-moses.blogspot.com/2013/01/evidence-of-multiple-foreign-weapon.html" target="_blank">identified</a> by Higgins as possessing the new weapons is the Omari Brigade. The Omari Battalion (later expanded into a brigade) was formed in late 2011 under the leadership of Capt. Qais Qatanah, an officer from an aerial reconnaissance unit who <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKw9llHLUu0" target="_blank">defected</a> in the summer of 2011. The Omari Battalion operates out of the Lajat region, a rocky expanse in northeastern Deraa Province. Although the majority of its activities are confined to the Lajat region, the Omari Battalion’s area of operations expanded to towns just outside the Lajat in the summer of 2012, including <a href="http://youtu.be/ABtfrr7IZ2Y" target="_blank">Sheikh Miskin</a> and <a href="http://youtu.be/bc6ztfhMNJU" target="_blank">Hirak</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In October 2012, the Omari Battalion <a href="http://www.facebook.com/3omrey.freearmy/posts/214182738714444" target="_blank">expanded</a> into a brigade which claimed 4 component battalions, all led by former officers in the Syrian military. It has continued <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7FyYgoyPg4" target="_blank">growing</a> in recent months as new battalions form under the Omari Brigade umbrella, including one unit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGgS8UXRNOc" target="_blank">claiming</a> to operate in Damascus.</span><br />
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In mid-December, the Omari Brigade participated in a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RELml7wu2Y" target="_blank">raid</a> of the Brigade 34 base outside the village of Mismin in northern Lajat, just 32 kilometers from Damascus’ southern suburbs. The Omari Brigade also <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0rrBRO0O_k&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">participated</a> in the heavy fighting in Busir al-Harir in late-January.<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><br />
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The prominence of former Syrian military officers in the Omari Brigade is significant as individuals with extremist sympathies were unlikely to rise through the ranks of Assad’s military. There are other, more concrete signs that the Omari Brigade holds moderate views. In late January, for example, the Omari Brigade Facebook page posted an <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=380870218675796&set=a.246311225465030.53715.241849562577863&type=1&relevant_count=1" target="_blank">image</a> of Capt. Qatanah meeting with an individual identified as a Christian religious leader. The post emphasized the need to respect the freedoms of all Syrian citizens.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The raid on the Brigade 34 base and the fighting in Busir al-Harir do indicate a growing capability in the Omari Brigade, perhaps attributable to new weapons. If, however, the Omari Brigade is going to play a role in cutting off Damascus from the south, to speak nothing of making a drive north toward the capital, the brigade will have to develop its ability to operate outside of the Lajat. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1) al-Mismiya / Brigade 34 base</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2) Hirak</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3) Sheikh al-Miskin</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4) Busir al-Harir</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">An apparently injured Qatanah meeting with a Christian religious figure</span></td></tr>
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<b>REVISION 03/23/2012:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In late December, 2012, officers in the Omari Brigade posted a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC9zGXum3LM" target="_blank">video</a> in which they accused Christians from the town of Mismiya of working with the regime and gave them three days to leave the town. The meeting between Qatanah and the Christian religious leader reportedly occurred after this incident. The meeting can therefor be interpreted as either a case of Qatanah reinging in his over zealous subordinates, or a case of senior FSA leaders forcing the Omari Brigade to engage in damage control, as the attempt at ethnic cleasning was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DZB2P0eox0" target="_blank">used</a> by pro-regime activists to portray the rebels as extremists.</span><br />
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<i>(the above paragraph was added to the post on March 23, 2013, following the discovery of new information).</i></span><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-67475023280797994572013-01-08T15:28:00.000-05:002013-01-09T09:45:48.202-05:00Local Governance in Sarmada<br />
There are towns across Idlib Province that are free of any regime presence. The Idlib Revolutionary Council is reorganizing activists in these towns into Civil and Local Administration Councils (CLACs) to provide local governance until provincial wide elections can be held at some future date. This post outlines the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GGX03pYWR6aW-FrzO2Gw-9_SjSL58jKaSdEk3uhXVxg/edit" target="_blank">structure and functions </a>of the Sarmada CLAC to provide insight on the status of governance in Idlib’s liberated towns.<br />
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Sarmada’s CLAC, led by Muhamed Razi Qazah, is split into 10 committees, including:<br />
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<ul>
<li>The Statistics Committee, which documents martyrs and tracks relief supplies as they leave storage facilities. </li>
<li>The Commission of Legitimate Rights, an independent legal body that plays a lead role in resolving conflicts. </li>
<li>The Military Liaison Committee, led by Major Mundhur Khadib, is the link between the military council and the CLAC. </li>
<li>The Security Committee is a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=539780062698820&set=a.539779962698830.123885.245325925477570&type=3&l=b56ed7df94&permPage=1" target="_blank">local police force</a> charged with organizing patrols. It can also be used by the Committee of Legitimate Rights to intervene in disputes. </li>
<li>The Foreign Relations Committee works with supporters abroad </li>
<li>The Political Media Committee coordinates with other CLACs and publicizes regime atrocities.</li>
<li>The Advisory Board oversees the committees and reports any problems to the council president. The relationship between the Advisory Board and the “independent” Committee of Legitimate Rights is unclear.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><br />Structure of the Sarmada Civil and Local Administration Council</b></td></tr>
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To date, the Sarmada CLAC has publicized its role in bringing a number of services to the people of Sarmada. In December, when power shortages shut down Sarmada’s water supply, the CLAC <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MjlsAladartAlmhlytAlthwryFyBldtSrmda/posts/509301195776717" target="_blank">acquired</a> a generator to operate the town's water pump. The extended absence of government services also led to the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MjlsAladartAlmhlytAlthwryFyBldtSrmda/posts/308491885918393" target="_blank">accumulation</a> of trash, which the CLAC began <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MjlsAladartAlmhlytAlthwryFyBldtSrmda/posts/429146347153360" target="_blank">removing</a> in early December.<br />
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As with many towns not reduced to rubble by aerial bombardment, Saramada’s 25,000 residents struggle to provide for the 10,000 refugees living among them. The Canadian humanitarian organization <a href="http://www.humanconcern.org/" target="_blank">Human Concern</a> has assisted in this effort by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8A0hyKzncw&feature=share" target="_blank">providing</a> aid to the CLAC to distribute to Sarmada’s refugees. An Islamic community group in California has also helped by donating winter clothing.<br />
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The refugees are <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LISa3fZTqD0&feature=share" target="_blank">occupying</a> Sarmada's schools, making it difficult for Sarmada to reactivate its education system. The CLAC has solicited the<a href="http://www.facebook.com/MjlsAladartAlmhlytAlthwryFyBldtSrmda/posts/119664141530735" target="_blank"> opinion</a> of the public on how to deal with this situation. Options include removing the refugees from some of the schools into a makeshift camp or to neighboring towns, and conducting classes in local mosques. As of early December, the issue was unresolved. The presence of refugees has also <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MjlsAladartAlmhlytAlthwryFyBldtSrmda/posts/126132550883894" target="_blank">raised the cost of providing bread </a>for local residents, forcing the council to appeal to outside supporters for financial assistance.<br />
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For now, the primary problems facing the CLACs revolve around providing for the basic needs of citizens and refugees in the context of Syria’s economic collapse. If a best-case scenario emerges and the civil war ends with the fall of the Assad regime, the councils will struggle to assert themselves over the militias in order to force their disarmament. If, on the other hand, a civil war emerges between Jihadists and more mainstream rebel factions, the success of the local councils (which <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/01/07/179069/in-turkish-border-town-charity.html" target="_blank">rely</a> on support from abroad) could play a key role in preventing Jihadist groups from buying the support of desperate Syrians.<br />
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-91243054223611712552012-12-30T12:36:00.000-05:002012-12-30T12:36:17.141-05:00Who is Responsible for the Failure at Wadi Deif?
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The Battle for control of Wadi Deif, a military base just east of Maarat al-Numan, began in mid-October and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2ERySzn3Ew&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">continues</a> more than two months later. For some rebels, the length of the battle and the accompanying destruction of Maarat al-Numan, represents a failure<span class="s1">. A fact finding commission published a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=172868292855609&set=pb.128605667281872.-2207520000.1356884123&type=3&theater" target="_blank">report</a> on the battle in early December which</span> placed responsibility for the failures on a number of people, including a sheikh, a businessman, and a rebel leader.</div>
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Sheikh Ahmad Alwan</div>
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in Dubai in Winter 2011</div>
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The sheikh is Ahmad Alwan, a religious leader who spent the most of 2012 in the United Arab Emirates. He appeared to Maarat al-Numan in the fall and began agitating for an attack on Wadi Deif. According to the report, while some battalion leaders wanted to conduct a study on the relative capabilities of the rebel and regime forces in the area, Sheikh Alwan insisted that the rebels “have the ability to burn Wadi Deif in five hours.” Alwan was also accused of forming the<a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=524854044191709&set=pb.524816617528785.-2207520000.1356884516&type=3&theater" target="_blank"> Ibad al-Rahman Brigade</a> during the course of the battle from battalions that were already associated with other brigades, creating new divisions within rebel ranks. </div>
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Marwan Nahas, described as a businessman, is criticized in the report for not supporting the Military Council, instead focusing on creating a political party as the city was bombed. The report claims that he only appeared on the front lines for photo opportunities. Marwan Nahas and Ahmed Alwan were also <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%22http://www.youtube.com/watch?v="><span class="s2">accused</span></a> by some residents of Maarat al-Numan of kidnapping and torture. </div>
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Abdul Baset Maamar, a Muslim Brotherhood intermediary, was also accused of precipitating the ill-advised operation. He arrived in Maarat al-Numan in September with money from the Brotherhood, which the report alleges he used to coerce the rebels into attacking Wadi Deif, proclaiming that he would only give funds to groups that participated in the operation. </div>
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Idlib Military Council leader Afif Suleiman was also criticized for not including the Shuhada Suriya and Ahfad al-Rasul Brigades in the battle plans in an alleged effort to control the distribution of captured material. This echoes <a href="http://syriasurvey.blogspot.com/2012/11/jamal-maaruf-taunts-afif-suleiman.html" target="_blank">accusations</a> made earlier by Shuhada Suriya’s leader Jamal Maaruf. </div>
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The struggles at Wadi Deif boil down to continuing division among rebel ranks. Although the rebels are able to launch and maintain large joint operations, their campaigns lack coherence <span class="s1">due to competition for loot, uneven funding and, according to this report, firebrand clerics who lack an understanding of battle field realities.</span></div>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /> 1) Maarat al-Numan</div>
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2) Wadi Deif Military Base</div>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-74089536877014122762012-12-25T13:58:00.004-05:002012-12-25T21:26:10.922-05:00The Battle for Idlib City ApproachesSyrian rebels have secured towns across Idlib province, but the provincial capital, Idlib city remains in regime hands. Although Idlib's rebels often speak of liberating the city, it appears that the battle for the city may finally be approaching. In the northwest corner of the province, a number of rebel groups led by the Shuhada Idlib Brigade have finally <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EMSHdkGytQE" target="_blank">captured</a> the Harem <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTTMwe5js_o" target="_blank">citadel</a>, after getting bogged down in the city for two months as regime fighters stubbornly held on. Subsequently, the Shuhada Idlib Brigade released a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Martyrs.Idlib/posts/392662120818358" target="_blank">statement</a> announcing that the brigade would withdraw from Harem within three days and redeploy to the outskirts of Idlib city in order to focus on attacking regime checkpoints in coordination with other brigades in the area. Meanwhile, the Yusuf al-Athimah Brigade posted a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=427721153961425&set=a.398904073509800.92574.383488868384654&type=1&theater" target="_blank">statement</a> on December 24, announcing attacks on checkpoints on the outskirts on Idlib city in preparation for the city's liberation.<br />
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Part of the drive to finally focus on Idlib city stems from the reality that there are not many other prizes left for the rebels to pursue in northern Idlib. Some Idlib rebel groups are now operating in Aleppo, such as the Idlib Tawhid Brigade, Jabhat Thuwar Saraqeb, and Shuhada Suriya, which are <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LwaaALTAWHEED/posts/500692219952543" target="_blank">fighting</a> for control of a series of regime <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZfbuaKQvIg" target="_blank">arms depots</a> southwest of Aleppo city in Khan al-Duman. These powerful groups will have to return of Idlib if the rebels hope to take Idlib city.<br />
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The regime’s grip on Idlib city has been firm since rebels were pushed out of the city in March. Attacks increased around the city in late summer 2012, but were limited to one-off assaults, not large scale maneuvers aimed at forcing the regime out of the city. Although the regime’s position is anchored by the Mastoumah military base located five kilometers south of the city, there is no airbase near Idlib city, leaving the regime’s supply routes vulnerable to a siege.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOht6KBeKD3LA-ZkUItGEnJ5Cwhg1Zuays1pW4H9XwMeO44EucFD-AvnFHJpbTwWK2j19MWHXM_RaCYAJXfqyv7n7Wos0OOQJ9QVOm_n_p786GImQJL96NAkXgUqsX2ddszD0m18Hw-I/s1600/idlib+city+battle+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOht6KBeKD3LA-ZkUItGEnJ5Cwhg1Zuays1pW4H9XwMeO44EucFD-AvnFHJpbTwWK2j19MWHXM_RaCYAJXfqyv7n7Wos0OOQJ9QVOm_n_p786GImQJL96NAkXgUqsX2ddszD0m18Hw-I/s400/idlib+city+battle+map.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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1) Harem</div>
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2) Idlib City</div>
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3) Mastoumah </div>
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4) Khan al-Duman</div>
Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-18979891323200035882012-12-04T20:49:00.000-05:002012-12-05T07:39:07.542-05:00How Should Idlib's Islamists be Handled?<br />
The Idlib Revolutionary Council held a <a href="http://youtu.be/dVjy2HHMC3c" target="_blank">meeting</a> in Reyhanli, Turkey this week in which a new member was elected to the council and rules of procedure were adopted. Continuing the council’s <a href="http://syriasurvey.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-syrian-oppositions-internal.html" target="_blank">policy</a> of operating in the public eye, unique for political activists, <a href="http://youtu.be/h-oqW8r7ZTU" target="_blank">videos</a> of the proceedings were posted on YouTube. More significant, however were the rebel groups not represented at the meeting: The Idlib Tawhid Brigade, the Yusuf al-Athima Brigade, and battalions from Ahrar al-Sham and Suqour al-Sham.<br />
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These are the Idlib's most Islamist groups (with the exception of the Tusuf al-Athima Brigade whose religious ideology is unclear). A <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=250582851735331&set=a.235407269919556.54421.235393003254316&type=1&theater" target="_blank">statement</a> was posted on the <a href="http://syriasurvey.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-idlib-tawhid-brigade-should-be.html" target="_blank">Idlib Tawhid Brigade</a> Facebook page denouncing the election for “not represent(ing) the actual revolutionary movement.” The statement claimed that the election was held “without the knowledge of these forces and without their representation.” The Yusuf al-Athima Brigade later denied being part of the statement, saying they were taking a wait and see approach to the council.<br />
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It seems that the most extreme Islamist groups are being frozen out of Idlib’s internal political process which is aimed at administering the liberated areas. This raises a familiar debate: Is it wise integrate extremists into the political process and hope that doing so moderates them, while running the risk of allowing extremist groups to dominate? Or is it better to marginalize them and prevent extremists from influencing the legitimate political process, while possibly forcing them to use violence to pursue political goals? These are questions that moderate Syrians have to address as the rebels gain decisive control over large swaths of the country.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYOboHJHvUxwwRbOZtPtxiOcuOFMX_QSgrksTg6SvcwiBF6dkvkV2Ua0aCW7OjMh1pGAFzTOy4HIzS_8AEeoWm-8wQ_xMnLehyphenhyphennCCRO786mPH5lrOzUdeYzC3YgRU6-j-QJjr1QW7-0Q/s1600/tawhid+statement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYOboHJHvUxwwRbOZtPtxiOcuOFMX_QSgrksTg6SvcwiBF6dkvkV2Ua0aCW7OjMh1pGAFzTOy4HIzS_8AEeoWm-8wQ_xMnLehyphenhyphennCCRO786mPH5lrOzUdeYzC3YgRU6-j-QJjr1QW7-0Q/s400/tawhid+statement.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<b>Statement posted on the Idlib Tawhid Brigade Facebook page</b></div>
Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-28218770830417377152012-12-01T21:18:00.003-05:002012-12-03T07:37:42.068-05:00The Regime's Foreign Fighter List<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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In late November, the Syrian government <span class="s1"><a href="http://rt.com/news/syria-un-foreign-mercenaries-310/" target="_blank">presented</a></span> the UN Security Council with a list of 142 foreigner fighters killed in Syria from September through November. A week later, the Syrian newspaper al-Watan <span class="s1"><a href="http://www.alwatan.sy/dindex.php?idn=130346" target="_blank">published</a></span> the list. The list is by no means comprehensive, as even some foreign fighter deaths <a href="http://syria360.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/sana-headlines-november-17th-19th-2012/" target="_blank"><span class="s1">reported</span> </a>by regime sources did not make the list. But if one assumes that the list is representative of the total foreign fighter population (and it may not be), there are some interesting pieces of information.</div>
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Despite Saudi Arabia’s <span class="s1"><a href="http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/8198" target="_blank">efforts</a></span> to curtail the flow of its citizens into Syria, the country claims the most fighters on the list. Second on the list, and with the most fighters relative to total national population is Libya. This in not surprising given that the seized <span class="s1"><a href="http://tarpley.net/docs/CTCForeignFighter.19.Dec07.pdf" target="_blank">Sinjar Records</a></span> documenting foreign fighters arriving in Iraq over the Syrian border also showed Saudi Arabia with the most total fighters and Libya with the most fighters per-capita. 11 Afghans made the list as well, all killed in the north. It is surprising that Afghans would be fighting in Syria given the ongoing fighting in their own country and the fact that none were in the Sinjar Records.</div>
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More surprising was the ages of the killed foreigners. The list provides ages for 51 of the 142 fighters. The average age is 39, not the young impressionable youth often pictured as international revolutionaries. The average age of the fighters in the Sinjar Records was 24 years old, more in line with expectations.</div>
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The list includes the date and location of each fighter’s death. The incident with the most foreign deaths was the rebels’ October 11 capture of a regime base at an olive oil factory in Saraqeb in which three Turks and six Saudis were reportedly killed. This may confirm the common refrain that large numbers of foreign fighters are <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-11/news/sns-rt-syria-crisisrebelsl6e8l9mei-20121011_1_ahrar-al-sham-homs-islamist-fighters" target="_blank">joining</a> Ahrar al-Sham of the Jabha Thuwar Suriya network. A number of rebel groups participated in October 11 Saraqeb raid including the Saraqeb-based Jebel Thuwar Saraqeb Brigade, Suqour al-Sham and the Iman Brigade of Ahrar al-Sham.</div>
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It is possible that these foreigners were an independent group that followed the sound of fighting, but it is also possible that they were members of Ahrar al-Sham. One<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R4Og2E7f2g" target="_blank"> <span class="s1">video</span></a> of the attack showed a fighter wearing a Shalwar Kameez, a Pakistani style of dress that has become popular among some Arab jihadists.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXaTswMe-eo6iSI-bB67aBLabFORJlV14lGkDmhyphenhyphenEbO_89pxpGQwPe9L4sZhEjQboOqp4oVjo81Y5NtQOGDrtsVm-HRhnc_iQzCSYSAjFTB0QKGetymINf2qxoyN4A45e5INcwvYM-zs/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXaTswMe-eo6iSI-bB67aBLabFORJlV14lGkDmhyphenhyphenEbO_89pxpGQwPe9L4sZhEjQboOqp4oVjo81Y5NtQOGDrtsVm-HRhnc_iQzCSYSAjFTB0QKGetymINf2qxoyN4A45e5INcwvYM-zs/s400/Slide1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-88548788741878670612012-11-21T12:24:00.002-05:002012-11-21T12:26:22.908-05:00Jamal Maaruf Taunts Afif Suleiman<br />
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One day in mid-October Jamal Maaruf and the men of Shuhada Suriya heard the sound of explosions to the south. They inquired with contacts and learned that fighters aligned with <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%22http://www."><span class="s1">Afif Suleiman’s</span></a> Idlib Military Council were attacking regime positions in Maarat al-Numan, a small city just west of the M5 Highway and south of the rebel-held hills of Jebel al-Zawiyah. Maaruf and his men gathered their weapons and joined the fight. Within 24 hours, the rebels pushed the regime out of Maarat al-Numan, extending the rebel held section of the M5 highway further south. The fighting then shifted to the Wadi Deif military base just east of the highway while the rebels simultaneously fought off armored convoys <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUCi_cZn3nA&feature=youtu.be%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s1">approaching</span></a> from <span class="s2">military bases in Hama</span> and endured constant air <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%22http://www.youtube.com/"><span class="s1">attacks</span></a>. Maaruf’s brother Muhamed, a mid-level Shuhada Suriya field commander, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2qPuv93LBE%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s1">died</span></a> in the fighting.</div>
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As the battle raged on, Suleiman arranged a meeting of the rebel groups involved. Maaruf claimed that Suleiman offered to come visit Maaruf to discuss the plan but Maaruf insisted that he come to Suleiman as a sign of respect, recognizing that Suleiman outranked him in the loose rebel command structure. Maaruf claims that he tried to work with Suleiman, providing fighters and even two <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlWwTo3r8Ls%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s1">tanks</span></a>. After the rebels <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%22http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/11/07/174029/battle-for-maaret-al-numan-r"><span class="s1">failed</span></a> to capture the base and Maaruf’s ammunition ran low, he pulled some of his fighters back to their villages, an action that angered rebels still fighting in Maarat al-Numan (The Shuhada Maarat al-Numan Battalion, part of Shuhada Suriya, stayed behind). </div>
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The criticism became a source of concern for Maaruf<span class="s2">, who </span>responded with a long <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%22http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=164625457013226&set=a.136449749830797.30166.128605667281872&type=1&theater%22%20%5Ct%20%22_"><span class="s1">statement</span></a> on Shuhada Suriya’s Facebook page claiming that he did all he could, working with Suleiman until his supplies ran low. At the end of the statement, however, came a direct challenge. Maaruf claimed that if those supporting Suleiman would send Shuhada Suriya “half the weapons” sent to Suleiman, he would take Wadi Deif, implying that Suleiman had mismanaged the siege.</div>
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<span class="s2">T</span>he relationship between Suleiman and Maaruf has evolved over the past year. During late-Spring 2012, Maaruf, then leader of the Shuhada Jebel al-Zawiyah Battalion, the forerunner of Shuhada Suriya, operated under the umbrella of Suleiman’s military council. The relationship with fruitful as the battalion <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsvA-9WgRX8" target="_blank">captured</a> checkpoints across Jebel al-Zawiyah. With Shuhada Jebel al-Zawiyah’s late summer expansion into the Shuhada Suriya Brigades, Maaruf became independent of the council. </div>
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Shuhada Suriya is one of Syria’s most powerful rebel groups, recently posting a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUYGFFXP8j0"><span class="s1">video</span></a> of the largest known gathering of Syrian rebels to date. Despite Maaruf’s celebrity, however, he is unable to attract the level of financial and material support that Suleiman, the provincial council leader, receives. This is not a bad thing. Provincial councils can only assert control of rebel groups if they control money and weapons. But when council operations are not successful, rebel leaders will question the councils' control, a drawback of the rebels' loose command structure.</div>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-7469558224493171512012-11-18T18:07:00.000-05:002012-11-18T21:02:13.817-05:00The Capture of Air Defense Stations<br />
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Idlib’s ‘<a href="http://syriasurvey.blogspot.com/2012/11/military-councils-proliferate.html" target="_blank">other</a>’ military council, led by Mustafa Abdulkarim had its first success in early November when it captured the Duwailah air defense station outside Salqin after a month long siege, no doubt assisted by the unique <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=299324090169067&set=a.299323976835745.53097.277946372306839&type=1&relevant_count=6" target="_blank">terrain</a> surrounding the regime’s position. As Riad Kahwali <a href="http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2012/11/13/syria_rebels_lay_grounds_for_no-fly_zone_100343.html" target="_blank">pointed out</a>, this operation was part of a larger trend of rebels capturing air defense stations across Syria including in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhiGv8R8O74" target="_blank">Damascus</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd1HK1X2a90" target="_blank">Aleppo</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kufPY7N4M8U" target="_blank">Homs</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kufPY7N4M8U" target="_blank">Deir Ezzor</a>, part of what Kahwali described as, “laying the ground for a no-fly zone.”</div>
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However, capturing air defense stations will not directly lead to the overthrow of the Assad regime as they are defensive assets, not a part of the regime’s repressive machine. The capture of these positions are also not likely to make an intervention more appealing for the West, as the effectiveness of Syria’s air defense system was already <a href="http://csis.org/files/publication/111213_SyriaMilitaryIntervention.pdf" target="_blank">called into question</a> in 2011. Fear of the regime’s military capabilities is not what is preventing an intervention. The capture of these positions is, however, providing the rebels with access to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuED7JCz3mU&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">advanced weapons</a> , as well as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH4SSUgOEgI" target="_blank">large amounts</a> of ammunition. It is also a sign that the rebels’ military capabilities are continuing to improve. As of late spring 2012, rebels considered the capture of a checkpoint a major success. The rebels then moved on to capturing regime-held towns and border crossings, and since mid-summer 2012, began taking air defense stations which usually amount to small military bases. There are now signs that the rebels are seizing larger military bases, such as the section of the special forces base south of Atareb, captured today after part of the garrison <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjxgvDeQzOw" target="_blank">defected</a>.</div>
<br />Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-30768511764994724292012-11-06T13:16:00.001-05:002012-11-06T13:20:44.286-05:00Rebel Leader Basil Issa Dies<br />
Basil Issa, one of northern Idlib’s primary rebel leaders was killed in an airstrike yesterday. Issa's Shuhada Idlib Brigade, captured the town of the Harem near Syria’s northwestern border with Syria this past week. As with other towns, the regime’s response to the rebel seizure of Harem was to continually bomb it from the air. In addition to a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz1qhgaSfvo&feature=share" target="_blank">mosque</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfQ-fOEPGk0" target="_blank">apartment buildings</a>, the regime got lucky when it killed a man at the center of the rebels’ success in northwestern Idlib.<br />
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After rebel bands fled Idlib city in March 2012, Issa played a leading role in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSYN3H25QXk" target="_blank">organizing</a> them into hierarchical command structures. This allowed him to execute one of the rebels' first large-scale operations when he led over 400 fighters on an <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9367015/Idlib-dispatch-Syrian-rebels-are-better-armed-more-numerous-and-stronger-by-the-day.html" target="_blank">assault</a> on the town of Armanaz in June.<br />
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In July, Issa and his men <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcFKEif_zuI" target="_blank">captured</a> the town of Salqin from a contingent of Shabiha. In early September, Issa led his first <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kUKRX1qiJo" target="_blank">assault</a> on Harem but was forced to withdraw after a several days of fighting. He <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLFQ9byDSA4" target="_blank">returned</a> to Harem in late-October, this time successfully forcing the regime from what may have been its northernmost position. This was Issa's final battlefield success.<br />
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While it is unclear who will take control of the Shuhada Idlib Brigade, there are several candidates. First is Muhanad Issa, a relative of Basil. In July, Muhanad <a href="http://english.cntv.cn/program/newsupdate/20120721/113033.shtml" target="_blank">described</a> himself as the vice-commander of the Brigade, but he does not play a role in combat operations. Instead, he playes the role of an activist, granting interviews in Turkey and serving as the head of the Idlib City Revolutionary Council’s Military Bureau. Other candidates are the leaders of the Shuhada Idlib Brigade’s most active battalions: the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywf2U1j1yxk" target="_blank">Jaffar al-Tayyar Battalion</a> and the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Ff15ribBs" target="_blank">Uthman bin Affan Battalion</a>.<br />
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A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xnreayrq_s" target="_blank">video</a> of Basil celebrating the creation of his brigade.<br />
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<b>Basil Issa</b></div>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-15570935741032498262012-11-02T09:55:00.003-04:002012-11-02T10:47:13.448-04:00Military Councils ProliferateWhen provincial military councils began forming in the early 2012, the idea was for every province to have one council, creating a unified rebel leadership in each province capable of coordinating rebel activity. Unfortunately, the council leaders, usually defected colonels, were not able to unite all the provincial rebel groups under their leadership, partly because rebel groups were not dependent on the council for financial or military resources. Today, not only are the councils unable to claim membership of all the major rebel groups in their provinces, but competing senior rebel leaders are forming alternative military councils, leaving provinces with multiple councils.<br />
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In Idlib Province, the main council was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hIoBYarEj4" target="_blank">formed</a> in April under the leadership of Afif Suleiman, an air force colonel that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LmapRS3Ya0" target="_blank">defected</a> in January from his base in Hama. Some major Idlib groups, such as Shuhada Suriya, have operated under Suleiman’s leadership, but in the past two months, two new Idlib Military councils have formed. The first, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT8Guy3kTa0&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">formed</a> in mid-September under the leadership of Muhanad Yahya Bitar. On October 24, Mustafa Abdulkarim, leader of the Deraa al-Thawra Brigade in Sarmada, formed a new military council comprised of 25 rebel groups located across the province. Abdulkarim’s council appears to be a consolidation of Bitar’s council as Bitar was included in the list of council members. Most of the rebel groups in Abdulkarim’s council are smaller, recently formed rebel groups, with the exception of Bilal Khabir’s Sarmin based Ahrar al-Shamal Idlib, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeDekx6jyTQ" target="_blank">formed</a> in February 2012.<br />
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Elsewhere in Idlib, rebels are forming military councils to coordinate rebel activity in a single town, such as the council <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54MPqbpoSow" target="_blank">formed</a> in early September in Kafrnabel. Maarat al-Numan, just to the east, has its own <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOkNBEkO7sA" target="_blank">military council </a>as well. These councils are a positive development as they coordinate rebel activity in a single town without undermining other leadership structures.<br />
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Uniting the provincial level networks may require creating a new layer of rebel leadership, a supreme provincial military council made up of each province’s provincial military councils. This would make the most sense if each council was geographically distinct, which is not the case. But even so, the mission of uniting rebel operations under a central provincial leadership would be a major step forward and should be pursued.<br />
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<b>Mustafa Abdulkarim</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dCQIDqemak8Qf9O8JiLkbFolFrN9IoTeWTVDJ-eDOlP1TiZ89vL12qJ1GOkoreevikS2ndtI-FKdLhvuHyVbva6-vPCRhpxEciBXVt-loKvQf_JB9E81d-9ElCNcqLWKiLHdB1pr-jo/s1600/Karim.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dCQIDqemak8Qf9O8JiLkbFolFrN9IoTeWTVDJ-eDOlP1TiZ89vL12qJ1GOkoreevikS2ndtI-FKdLhvuHyVbva6-vPCRhpxEciBXVt-loKvQf_JB9E81d-9ElCNcqLWKiLHdB1pr-jo/s200/Karim.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnZAQDgkm7C2TcsBH1dvafVNF2BN5H8YGUYmfvjpx7WcZEhlaAhHf3P4spvX3H4FBdpcXV0FpL64H3BGpgfI2X-2mIeNUgTos7U88AmwTtjc5aETw2_CF55LIizOAtZ2DkWo95lbEE5w/s1600/karim's+council.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnZAQDgkm7C2TcsBH1dvafVNF2BN5H8YGUYmfvjpx7WcZEhlaAhHf3P4spvX3H4FBdpcXV0FpL64H3BGpgfI2X-2mIeNUgTos7U88AmwTtjc5aETw2_CF55LIizOAtZ2DkWo95lbEE5w/s400/karim's+council.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RPZ2ml_q0gYWokWpUWDoh-m1WFwhUNQH5uielkuuAI_WAY-9rD7b4FEjHgkCPaTeDpVhnt7i9OkbBdHlZbs2ewFtCgGy03mVPxydOp41Dz_83M6ryqcd9bt12odqbhijqEYPWXvAwWQ/s1600/afif.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RPZ2ml_q0gYWokWpUWDoh-m1WFwhUNQH5uielkuuAI_WAY-9rD7b4FEjHgkCPaTeDpVhnt7i9OkbBdHlZbs2ewFtCgGy03mVPxydOp41Dz_83M6ryqcd9bt12odqbhijqEYPWXvAwWQ/s200/afif.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<b>Rebel Groups Claimed by Abdulkarim's Military Council ِAfif Suleiman</b></div>
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<br />Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-5132604352809556772012-10-23T20:45:00.001-04:002012-10-23T21:29:25.795-04:00The Syrian Opposition's Internal Civilian Leadership EmergesWhile Syrian rebel leaders have become household names across the Middle East, the opposition’s civilian leadership inside Syria has remained in the shadows. Their survival required maintaining anonymity, staying deep underground while organizing Local Coordination Committees and provincial Revolutionary Committees to coordinate the import of food and fuel, establish schools and hospitals, publicize regime atrocities, organize local <a href="http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Jul-21/181392-tiny-syrian-rebel-held-village-holds-first-free-elections.ashx" target="_blank">elections</a>, and generally begin the process of establishing governance in liberated regions.<br />
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Rebel groups are involved in many of these activities as well, sometimes in partnership with the unarmed opposition structures and sometimes on their own. The problem is that the rebel leaders have been the only ones publicizing their efforts to provide for the Syrian people and establishing themselves as charismatic leaders. If this pattern continues, rebel leaders will be positioned to become the dominant political leaders while the civilian opposition leaders emerge from the shadows too late to build national networks of popular support.</div>
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Fortunately, the civilian opposition leadership inside Syria is beginning to emerge from the shadows as the regime contracts. The Idlib Revolutionary Council has been out front of other councils, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=407597232611460&set=a.407265265977990.81406.398087413562442&type=3&permPage=1" target="_blank">publicizing</a> some of its members in mid-July. The council recently held elections, bringing in a new leadership. Not only has the council publicized the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.393707524033298.90305.199460363458016&type=3" target="_blank">names</a> of the election winners, it has also posted their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.397767773627273.91421.199460363458016&type=3" target="_blank">pictures</a>. Despite their emergence from the underground, the civilian leadership does not appear to be cultivating a popular following through displays of charismatic leadership. This may change, however, as Syria’s internal civilian opposition becomes comfortable operating in public.</div>
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<b>The Idlib Revolutionary Council's new leader, Ghazi al-Bakri (holding the microphone)</b></div>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-46704071710977330702012-10-22T20:31:00.000-04:002014-12-18T10:52:21.491-05:00The Syrian Rebels' Use of Social Media<i>The</i> <i>Foreign Policy Research Institute</i> published my article detailing the Syrian rebels' use of social media. View the PDF here: <a href="http://www.fpri.org/docs/media/MEMM_2012_10_Berman.pdf">http://www.fpri.org/articles/2012/10/syrian-rebel-use-social-media</a><br />
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-68900987689379014972012-10-13T14:16:00.000-04:002012-10-13T14:16:43.741-04:00The Idlib Tawhid Brigade Should be Monitored<br />
The International Crisis Group released a great <a href="http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/Middle%20East%20North%20Africa/Iraq%20Syria%20Lebanon/Syria/131-tentative-jihad-syrias-fundamentalist-opposition.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> last week detailing the evolving role of Salafists in the Syrian civil war. The report identified rebel groups with Salafist leanings whose future activity require monitoring. One group not mentioned in the report but worth watching is the Tawhid Brigade in Idlib Province (a different group than the Aleppo-based Tawhid Brigade).<br />
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As the report points out, establishing the exact ideology of a Syrian rebel group is difficult. Most do not explicitly outline their worldview and some have adopted positions simply to gain favor with donors. Although the Idlib Tawhid Brigade has not publicly defined their ideology, there is evidence indicating that they are toward the Jihadist-Salafist end of the Islamist spectrum.<br />
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The Idlib Tawhid Brigade <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=439517639422189&set=a.410906058950014.98071.406781299362490&type=1&relevant_count=1" target="_blank">formed</a> in mid-May by uniting several rebel cells near Idlib city. In a statement dated July 7, the Tawhid Brigade defined themselves as an independent group, separate from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), and defined their mission as supporting religion. They also <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueuVBplFCjI" target="_blank">posted</a> an al-Arabiya interview with Sheikh Aid al-Qarni, a Saudi cleric who <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrEEu-fjzqk" target="_blank">preached</a> in support of attacks against American troops in Iraq. On October 1, the Tawhid Brigade <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=471501986223754&set=a.410906058950014.98071.406781299362490&type=1&relevant_count=1" target="_blank">claimed</a> to carry out a joint operation with fighters from the jihadist group Jabhat Nusrah, attacking two regime positions near Salqin. It should be noted, however, that the connection between the Idlib Jabhat Nusrah and the Jabhat Nusrah units carrying out large-scale bombings in Damascus and Aleppo is unclear. The following day, the brigade posted a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HKIHGs3ivQ&feature=plcp" target="_blank">video</a> of a joint operation with the Salafist group Ahrar al-Sham in which, what appears to be a suicide bomber detonates a motorbike at a regime checkpoint near Idlib city.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7F_C_8FX0zhnWp1kzgavw6-dgqEAUYU4CCp-7rGu3edPgYRITaSaEwIfbyISaR3lFGLvUakacs6mioEO0Ur9dIPZPwHz1HjCy_hdUEV9Kge1ll9OY0ds1i0YW-aoux-HZBwotldgmoDc/s1600/tawhid+attack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7F_C_8FX0zhnWp1kzgavw6-dgqEAUYU4CCp-7rGu3edPgYRITaSaEwIfbyISaR3lFGLvUakacs6mioEO0Ur9dIPZPwHz1HjCy_hdUEV9Kge1ll9OY0ds1i0YW-aoux-HZBwotldgmoDc/s640/tawhid+attack.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Joint Tawhid Brigade-Ahrar al-Sham Bombing at a Checkpoint</b></div>
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In addition to working with Salafist groups, the Tawhid Brigade regularly carries out operations with FSA units, particularly the Shuhada Idlib Brigade, which is considered the armed wing of the Idlib City Revolutionary Council. Currently, the Tawhid Brigade is laying siege to an air defense station near Salqin in conjunction with units from Jabhat Nusrah, Ahrar al-Sham, and Deraa al-Thawra. The Idlib Tawhid Brigade also has links to the Muslim Brotherhood which is a major <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=407265475977969&set=a.407265265977990.81406.398087413562442&type=3&theater" target="_blank">funder</a> of the brigade. <br />
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While defining where exactly the Tawhid Brigade sits on the Islamist spectrum is difficult, the fact that they carry out suicide attacks, have links to Salafist groups, explicitly reject affiliation with the FSA, and emphasize their religious roots more than your average FSA group, all point toward the brigade being a rebel group worth monitoring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4_HDRKQcnFXt1dbfzK09j-bOYiXTeKYUxR4ciy1y0NoNFu2bB-P7g5p1z6HDu18soJj2FBkpqzUv_cDg2rW0ElaDSuHniz-grPDoo10SsGjffGl22gE2V2akaSLzK1-6Ti7vjoWEGlI/s1600/Tawhid+Symbol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4_HDRKQcnFXt1dbfzK09j-bOYiXTeKYUxR4ciy1y0NoNFu2bB-P7g5p1z6HDu18soJj2FBkpqzUv_cDg2rW0ElaDSuHniz-grPDoo10SsGjffGl22gE2V2akaSLzK1-6Ti7vjoWEGlI/s320/Tawhid+Symbol.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>The Tawhid Brigade's Logo</b></div>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-11748150865677854492012-10-03T15:45:00.001-04:002012-10-04T10:00:00.620-04:00The Fight for Northern Idlib Province<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/108885442/The-Fight-for-Nothern-Idlib-Province" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View The Fight for Nothern Idlib Province on Scribd">Download The PDF</a><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/108885442/The-Fight-for-Nothern-Idlib-Province" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View The Fight for Nothern Idlib Province on Scribd">The Fight for Nothern Idlib Province</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_70130" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/108885442/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-91vtc9n4xjobburvyn0" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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An explanation of the fight for northern Idlib Province. Includes a look at the battles for Harem, Salqin, Bab Hawa, and Idlib city and explains the roles of major rebel groups including Farouq al-Shamal, Shuhada Idlib, the Tawhid Brigade, and Deraa al-Thawra.</div>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-82094762661981594622012-09-27T12:43:00.000-04:002012-09-28T17:32:59.718-04:00The Problem With the Rebels' Financial Distribution Model<br />
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The system distributing funds to Syrian rebel groups fosters
divisions, sustains extremism, and creates organizational incoherence among rebel groups.</div>
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Ideally, the system would work as follows: A diverse set of
funders including states, expatriates, and religious/community leaders would
secure funds and transfer them to a central rebel coordinating body operating
at the national level. This body would then divide the funds between coordinating bodies in each province in charge of organizing rebel activity. Provincial
coordinating bodies would distribute the funds among the rebel groups actively fighting the
regime based on size, importance of their area of operations, and demonstrated
capabilities. This process would force fringe groups to move toward the center
in order to acquire funds, or risk becoming operationally irrelevant as better
resourced groups take the lead. A top down distribution system would also promote
unity, organizational coherence, and responsible behavior among the rebels.
Unfortunately, this is not how the system works.</div>
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The actual
distribution system is more complicated and works as follows: A diverse set of
funders ranging from states to expatriates and religious/community leaders
secure funds and transfer them to a variety of rebel organizations. This
includes bodies that attempt to coordinate or
influence rebel activity across provinces, including the Free Syrian Army, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the more islamist Syrian Rebels Front. Primary funders will also transfer
weapons and funds directly to revolutionary-military councils coordinating rebel
activity at the provincial level, as well as to individual brigades operating
at the village level. By providing funds to both coordinating bodies and their
component rebel groups, funders are undermining the effectiveness of the coordinating
bodies, making it difficult to impose order on rebel groups that have independent
sources of funds (sometimes the same source that the revolutionary-military
council relies upon). The current system also
allows fringe groups to secure funds and stay independent of moderate
leadership structures.</div>
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This distribution system grew organically out of the need to
fund rebel groups operating without the support of a major power. It is natural
that funders would want to sponsor actors at every level of the distribution
network, giving them broad influence and ensuring that their
money reaches the most influential players while targeting rebel groups deemed
amenable to the funder's political goals. This effort, however, is undermining
the unity, coherence, and moderation of the Syrian rebels.</div>
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<br />Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4903787816766522458.post-32650509141754252972012-09-20T17:27:00.001-04:002013-11-16T17:11:25.261-05:00The Kuwaiti Supply Network<br />
A recent <a href="http://world.time.com/2012/09/18/syrias-secular-and-islamist-rebels-who-are-the-saudis-and-the-qataris-arming/" target="_blank">article</a> by Rania Abouzeid brought important parts of the rebel supply network into the light. The following blog post aims to build on Rania’s impressive reporting by outlining the Kuwaiti supply network referenced in her report.<br />
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Rebel groups across Syria receive funds and weapons from the Haia al-Shaabiya l-Daam al-Shaab al-Suri (which loosely translates to <i>The Popular Commission to Support the Syrian People</i>). The organization is run by two young Kuwaiti sheikhs, Sheikh Hajaj al-Ajmi, and Sheikh Irshid al-Hajri.<br />
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The sheikhs do not appear to receive direct support from the Kuwaiti government as Sheikh al-Ajmi has said that he does most of his fundraising through Twitter where he has over 110,000 followers. The Haia has also released a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSAKdYb3Fy8&noredirect=1" target="_blank">video</a> in which prominent Kuwaiti artists, sheikhs, and athletes make emotional appeals for contributions.<br />
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<a href="http://www.syria2011.net/t33021-topic" target="_blank">According</a> to al-Ajmi, he began sending arms to the Ahrar al-Sham Battalions as well as Free Syrian Army units via Turkey in 2011 (this early activity is unconfirmed). During the summer of 2012, the Haia’s activities became more public, possibly coinciding with an increase in the amount of assistance being sent to Syria.<br />
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On June 30, the Umma Brigade, led by Libyan revolutionary Mahdi al-Harati posted a thank you to the Haia and the people of Kuwait for their “material support.” On August 1, Ibrahim Ayoub, leader of the Hamza Battalion and member of the Rastan Military Council released a Youtube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDD2sG3jVzk" target="_blank">video</a> thanking the Haia for its support in the form of $10,000. The Thuwar al-Shaidat Battalion, based in Deir Ezzor released a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meNoTndkEb8" target="_blank">video</a> on August 20 thanking the Haia for its backing, and another Deir Ezzor group was so grateful for the Haia’s sponsorship that they <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LgLxGaRaVI" target="_blank">named</a> themselves in honor of Sheikh Hajaj al-Ajmi.<br />
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Funders of the Syrian rebels are often accused of distributing funds based on ideological preference. Interestingly, the Kuwaiti Haia does not appear to be doing this as its beneficiaries lie across the ideological spectrum. Ahrar al-Sham is considered a mostly salafist group, while the Umma Battalion is a moderate Islamist group, and Ibrahim Ayoub is on the secular end of the spectrum. The amount each of these groups receives is unknown, however, and it is possible that the distribution of funds is weighted toward Ahrar al-Sham.<br />
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<b>Sheikh Irshid al-Hajri (Left) and Sheikh Hajaj al-Ajmi (center) meet with Riad al-Assad, head of the FSA during a trip to Turkey in late June.</b></div>
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<b>The sheikhs with Mahdi al-Harati, head of the Umma Brigade</b></div>
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<b>The Ahrar al-Sham Battalions send the sheikhs a thank you tweet</b></div>
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Asher Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341796974348871394noreply@blogger.com0