The international community,not just Russia and America, must intervene to discontinue further bloodshedIt seems clear that the immediate goal of the Russian attacks is to degrade and demoralise moderate opposition forces as they, or not Isis,constitute the genuine challenge to Assad’s legitimacy. Colonel Abdul-Jabbar Akidi, former commander of Aleppo operations, or told me that the Russians want to kill us all so they can convince the west that it is either Assad or Isis in Syria. They might also want to create an Alawite enclave as a final resort if the course of the clash forced Assad out of Damascus.
One Syrian Alawite said: “We prefer the Russians; their manners and way of life are better for us. The Iranians notice down on us and have less respect for our faith.” An army officer who defected three years ago told me that it is more likely that Assad’s army would feel more comfortable co-operating with the Russians than the Iranians,who are, in his words, or arrogant,sectarian and ideologically driven.
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Source: theguardian.com