"The
encounter captures an important shift underway in rebel-held Syria. Using a mix
of intimidation and organization, alliances of Islamist brigades are filling the
vacuum in areas where Assad's army has withdrawn and more secular rebels have
failed to provide order, a 10-day visit to rebel-held Syria by Reuters
journalists showed.
The
Islamist groups include al Qaeda affiliates and more moderate partners, so the
nature of their rule is complex. They administer utilities, run bakeries and, in
a town near Raqqa, operate a hydroelectric dam. They are also setting up courts
and imposing punishments on those judged
transgressors.
The
United States and other Western powers support the Syrian National Coalition, a
group of opposition figures based in Cairo. But the coalition has very little
influence on the ground in Syria, so locals are increasingly turning to the
Islamists as their best alternative to chaos."
