From an NGO source working in Syria: "Lets start with the title, in which Maaruf is called the “West’s last hope in Syria.” First the West does not view him as such, its some new media campaign. The West means the Americans and maybe the French so lets not make this guy out to be so important, but anyway the Americans have been channeling more support to groups in the south out of Jordan but also to other groups in Idlib or Aleppo who are not commanded by Maaruf. And it would be funny to view Maaruf as such an important guy when his base in just part of one province-Idlib.
It will not be at all shocking to western intelligence organizations that local insurgent groups cooperate on the battlefield with Jabhat al Nusra and others, they are well aware of this and complain about it already, so nothing in this article is shocking. The article greatly exaggerates the support Maaruf has received from the West and he was only one of many groups engaged in the fight to expel ISIS from Idlib.
The author writes: “the SRF has forced Isis to retreat to its stronghold in the Aleppo provincial city of Raqqa, to Jarabulus on the Turkish border and to the Iraqi border.”
First the SRF only helped expel ISIS from parts of Idlib. Second Raqqa is not a provincial city in Aleppo god damn it, how hard is it to look at a map if somehow the author never read any of the articles that were published about Raqqa when it fell to the insurgency a year and one month ago. Third ISIS remains in several towns in eastern Aleppo.
The author writes: “Maarouf, a 36-year-old former construction worker, is a rare breed among rebel leaders affiliated with the official opposition in that he still fights on the front line to command his troops, which he claims number 24,000.”
How does the author know whether other rebel leaders fight on the front line or not? This statement is not true. Moreover other commanders in Idlib laugh at the notion that Maaruf commands even half of that number.
The author writes: “one grizzly man in a grey tracksuit is introduced as having come directly from leading the SRF’s efforts in a new offensive in Latakia.”
That can only mean he was involved in the attack on Kassab, the Armenian village whose population fled an insurgent onslaught. Might have been worth mentioning the full context.
The author writes: “Maarouf’s importance to the Western-backed opposition-in-exile – the Syrian Opposition Coalition – was clear to see in February, when its leader, Ahmad al-Jarba, paid a rare visit to the front line under the protection of Maarouf’s brigades.”
First al Jarba does not equal the Coalition, they all hate each other and various members have links to various groups. But Jarba and Maaruf have the same backers.
These little mistakes are important. People trust newspapers. Policymakers depend on the media. And yet everything we read about the third world is full of mistakes, lazy reporting, no context, lies. We can have no certainty about whats happening anywhere."
It will not be at all shocking to western intelligence organizations that local insurgent groups cooperate on the battlefield with Jabhat al Nusra and others, they are well aware of this and complain about it already, so nothing in this article is shocking. The article greatly exaggerates the support Maaruf has received from the West and he was only one of many groups engaged in the fight to expel ISIS from Idlib.
The author writes: “the SRF has forced Isis to retreat to its stronghold in the Aleppo provincial city of Raqqa, to Jarabulus on the Turkish border and to the Iraqi border.”
First the SRF only helped expel ISIS from parts of Idlib. Second Raqqa is not a provincial city in Aleppo god damn it, how hard is it to look at a map if somehow the author never read any of the articles that were published about Raqqa when it fell to the insurgency a year and one month ago. Third ISIS remains in several towns in eastern Aleppo.
The author writes: “Maarouf, a 36-year-old former construction worker, is a rare breed among rebel leaders affiliated with the official opposition in that he still fights on the front line to command his troops, which he claims number 24,000.”
How does the author know whether other rebel leaders fight on the front line or not? This statement is not true. Moreover other commanders in Idlib laugh at the notion that Maaruf commands even half of that number.
The author writes: “one grizzly man in a grey tracksuit is introduced as having come directly from leading the SRF’s efforts in a new offensive in Latakia.”
That can only mean he was involved in the attack on Kassab, the Armenian village whose population fled an insurgent onslaught. Might have been worth mentioning the full context.
The author writes: “Maarouf’s importance to the Western-backed opposition-in-exile – the Syrian Opposition Coalition – was clear to see in February, when its leader, Ahmad al-Jarba, paid a rare visit to the front line under the protection of Maarouf’s brigades.”
First al Jarba does not equal the Coalition, they all hate each other and various members have links to various groups. But Jarba and Maaruf have the same backers.
These little mistakes are important. People trust newspapers. Policymakers depend on the media. And yet everything we read about the third world is full of mistakes, lazy reporting, no context, lies. We can have no certainty about whats happening anywhere."
