Tuesday, November 01, 2016

So who are the moderate Syrian rebels and what are their percentages? From Jadaliyya

Ibrahim Humaydi is the correspondent of Al-Hayat (the mouthpiece of Prince Khalid bin Sultan) on Syrian affairs. His views are pro-Syrian rebels and pro-Gulf regimes on Syria, naturally.  Here, he is interviewed by Bassam Haddad for Jadaliyya.  Bassam asks him about the percentages of the non-Jihadi rebels in Syria. Here is what Ibrahim tells him (my translation):  "The number of the moderates--the number of the moderates two years ago--I remember that in 2013 in a research study I prepared really, the estimate was that the level of extremists of ISIS and Nusrah and those who are affiliated with Al-Qa`idah was estimated to be between 10% and 15% of the combatant organizations.  No, the reverse is almost true.  The moderates are now representing 10% or 15% and the rest are generally either Islamists or close to Al-Qa`idah because something has been changing on the ground in the conflict."  Of course, by "moderates" Ibrahim has the Free Syrian Army in mind, which has been involved in various acts of sectarian kidnapping and extortions and thuggery of various kinds.  Riyad Al-As`ad, its once overall commander, once declared that Hariri guy, `Uqab Saqr, is the chief of its "command center".  Kid you not.

ابراهيم حميديأعداد المعتدلين، أعداد المعتدلين قبل عامين، أنا أذكر في ٢٠١٣ أعددت دراسة بحثية في الحقيقةكان التقدير أن مستوى المتطرفين داعش والنصرة والذين لهم علاقة بالقاعدة كان تقديرهم بين ١٠ و ١٥٪ من  الفصائل المقاتلةالآن العكس هو الصحيح تقريباًفقد صار المعتدلون يمثلون ١٠ أو ١٥٪ أو ما تبقى فهم عموماً إما إسلاميون أو قريبون من تنظيم القاعدة لأنه في الصراع هناك شيء يتغير على الأرض.