Syria: not a two-sided war

There are many different forces fighting over control of Syria, including government (Assad) forces, the liberal-dominated Free Syrian Army, and several Islamist groups including the FSA-allied Islamic Front, al-Qaeda (including the Syrian affiliate al-Nusra Front), ISIS, and several others. It is NOT simply a war between Assad on one hand and al-Qaeda on the other as claimed in Russian/Ba'athist propaganda. Don't believe me? From southwest to northeast, a province by province breakdown of who exactly is fighting whom (with the side that is ahead in that province listed first, and each side listed in order of its most powerful forces in the province). If multiple conflicts are listed, it is because enemies in one conflict are allies in another (as in the example of Quneitra province below, where erstwhile enemies are teaming up to fight ISIS). Otherwise, I have oversimplified matters to save space by lumping all groups sharing a common enemy into a single alliance. Obviously I can't vouch for the complete accuracy of it, but it's the best snapshot I could find on the Internet of--and this is the point I wish to make--a complex war.

Quneitra Governorate
Fiq: Israel VS. Syria
Quneitra: 1. Israel, Shi'ite militia, al-Qaeda, Islamic Front, FSA, Muslim Brotherhood, Druze militia, and Hamas VS. United Nations, Iran, Assad, Hezbollah, Circassian militia, Afghan mercenaries, and PLO. 2. al-Qaeda, Iran, Assad, FSA, Hezbollah, Druze militia, and Afghan mercenaries VS. ISIS.
Daraa
Daraa: 1. Assad VS. FSA. 2. ISIS VS. United Nations.
Izra': FSA VS. Assad.
al-Sanamayn: Assad VS. FSA.
as-Suwayda
Salkhad: Assad VS. ISIS and FSA.
as-Suwayda: Assad VS. Druze militia, ISIS, and FSA.
Shahba: Assad VS. ISIS and FSA.
Rif Damashq/Damascus
Qatana: Assad, Sunni militia, Shi'ite militia, and Christian militia VS. FSA
Darayya: Assad, Muslim Brotherhood, and PLO VS. FSA, Hamas, and ISIS.
Damascus: 1. Assad, Shi'ite militia, and PLO VS. FSA, Islamic Front, Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood, and al-Qaeda. 2. Islamic Front, Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood, and PLO VS. ISIS and al-Qaeda.
Douma: al-Qaeda and FSA VS. Assad.
Zabadani: Assad, Hezbollah, and Iran VS. al-Qaeda and FSA.
Qudsaya: Assad and Shi'ite militias VS. FSA and Sunni militias.
al-Tall: Assad and Shi'ite militias VS. FSA, al-Qaeda, and Muslim Brotherhood.
al-Qutayfah: Assad VS. Muslim Brotherhood.
Yabrud: Assad and Hezbollah VS. al-Qaeda and FSA.
al-Nabk: Assad and Christian militia VS. FSA.
Homs
Talkalakh: Assad VS. FSA.
al-Qusayr: Assad, Shi'ite militia, Christian militia, Hezbollah, Iran, and Greek neo-Nazis VS. FSA and al-Qaeda.
Homs: Assad and Shi'ite militia VS. FSA and Muslim Brotherhood.
ar-Rastan: al-Qaeda and FSA VS. Shi'ite militia and Assad.
al-Mukharram: Assad (uncontested).
Palmyra: ISIS VS. Assad and Jordan.
Tartus
Tartus, Safita, Duraykish, Shaykh Badr: Assad (uncontested).
Baniyas: Assad and Shi'ite militia VS. Sunni militia.
Latakia
Jableh: Assad (uncontested).
Qardaha: Assad vs. al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Shi'ite militia.
al-Haffah: Assad and al-Qaeda vs. FSA and ISIS.
Latakia: 1. Assad and middle-class Shi'ite militia VS. al-Qaeda, Turkmen militia, Armenian militia, and working-class Shi'ite militia. 2. Turkey VS. Assad, al-Qaeda, and Armenian militia.
Hama
Masyaf, Salamiyah: Assad (uncontested).
al-Suqaylabiyah: Assad and Christian militia VS. FSA, Sunni militia, and Muslim brotherhood.
Mhardeh: Assad, ISIS, and Sunni militia VS. FSA, al-Qaeda, and Christian militia.
Hama: Assad VS. FSA, al-Qaeda, and Islamic Front.
Idlib
Maarat al-Numaan: al-Qaeda and FSA VS. ISIS and Assad.
Arihah: al-Qaeda and FSA VS. Assad.
Jisr ash-Shugur: al-Qaeda and FSA VS. Assad and Christian militia.
Idlib: FSA and Turkey VS. al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Assad.
Harem: 1. al-Qaeda and FSA VS. Islamic Front, ISIS, and Assad. 2. Turkey VS. al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Assad.
Aleppo
Atarib: FSA VS. al-Qaeda and Christian militia.
Mount Simeon: FSA, al-Qaeda, Kurdish militia, Islamic Front, and Turkmen militia VS. Assad, ISIS, Hezbollah, Russia, Iran, and Shi'ite militia.
Safirah: Assad VS. al-Qaeda, Kurdish militia, ISIS, Muslim Brotherhood, and Jordan.
Dayr Hafir: 1. ISIS, al-Qaeda, Shi'ite militia, and Sunni militia VS. Assad. 2. ISIS and Sunni militia vs. al-Qaeda, Shi'ite militia, and Assad.
Afrin: FSA VS. Kurdish militia.
A'zaz: Islamic Front, FSA, Kurdish militia, and United States VS. Assad, al-Qaeda, and ISIS.
al-Bab: ISIS and Assad VS. Muslim Brotherhood.
Manbij: ISIS VS. Muslim Brotherhood.
Jarabulus: ISIS VS. FSA and United States.
Ayn al-Arab: Kurdish militia and United States VS. ISIS and al-Qaeda.
Deir-ez-Zor
al-Bukamal and Mayadin: ISIS and Assad VS. al-Qaeda and FSA.
Deir ez-Zor: Assad vs. ISIS and FSA.
al-Hasakah
al-Hasakah: FSA, Kurdish militia, and al-Qaeda VS. Assad and ISIS.
Ra's al-'Ayn: Kurdish militia VS. al-Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood, FSA, and Assad.
al-Qamishli: Kurdish militia VS. Assad and FSA.
al-Malikiyah: Kurdish militia VS. Assad.

And Israel, don't forget Israel is bombing Damascus

"Russia’s Intervention in Syria – A View From the Pastby Meir Zamir
Oct 27, 2015 for Syria Comment

"Russia’s current military intervention in Syria marks a major turning point in the civil war there and in the regional and international balance of power in the Middle East. The many attempts to decode Putin’s motives are therefore understandable."

Zamir argues there is important historical context missing from most of the current attempts to understand Putin's motives, and he provides 13 secret Syrian and British documents to illuminate that historical dimension.
http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/russias-intervention-in-syria-a-view-from-the-past-by-meir-zamir/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Syriacomment+(Syria+Comment)
"These documents, together with many others that are not given here, reveal that questions regarding Syria, which greatly preoccupied the Soviet Union in the 1940s, continue to preoccupy Russia today despite the years that have passed and the different circumstances. The similarity between the issues then and now results, to a large extent, from Syria’s unique geostrategic position coupled with its enduring internal divisions."

Queen Titania said:

And Israel, don't forget Israel is bombing Damascus

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Oh right.

EatTheRich said:

Oh right.

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Israel has been accused of bombing Syria on the pretext of preventing Iranian arms from reaching Hezbollah.

This is from four days ago:

"In April, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon also warned that Israel would not let Iran equip Hezbollah with advanced weapons — a day after an alleged Israeli airstrike hit weapons depots in Syria.

"Although Ya’alon did not discuss the airstrike that reportedly hit surface-to-surface missile depots, he declared that Israel would not allow Iran to supply arms to the terror group, which has a strong military presence in Lebanon as well as in Syria, the two countries lying on Israel’s northern borders.

"In September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a staunch ally of Assad, in an effort to avoid military confrontations in the country."
http://www.mintpressnews.com/israel-bombs-damascus-claims-to-have-targeted-weapons-shipments/211229/

EatTheRich said:

...It is NOT simply a war between Assad on one hand and al-Qaeda on the other as claimed in Russian/Ba'athist propaganda....

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Agreed. In general, it's Assad/Ba'athists backed by Russia and Iran, the Syrian rebels backed by the West and ISIS. A three-way gunfight reminiscent of the climatic scene in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"...except all guns are loaded.

In detail, the "Syrian rebels" are composed of several groups as you listed. We had a similar problem in Afghanistan with various anti-Taliban warlords/druglords who would also target each other every once in awhile.

Max R. said:

Agreed. In general, it's Assad/Ba'athists backed by Russia and Iran, the Syrian rebels backed by the West and ISIS. A three-way gunfight reminiscent of the climatic scene in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"...except all guns are loaded.

In detail, the "Syrian rebels" are composed of several groups as you listed. We had a similar problem in Afghanistan with various anti-Taliban warlords/druglords who would also target each other every once in awhile.

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Libya is similar where you have a heterogeneous elected government committed to constitutional rule, the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS and its allies, and Tuareg rebels all fighting each other.

I would add that the Kurds are also an important component of the war in Syria. Although lumped in with the anti-Assad rebels, the Kurdish People's Protection Units have concentrated their fire on ISIS much more than on the Assad regime and have in fact been the most successful force in terms of resisting and pushing back ISIS.

Syria is not a traditional military struggle in the sense of only two sides waging war against each other; however, it is a classic example of class struggle:

"LONDON—Britain plans to buy 138 Lockheed Martin F-35 jet fighters and aims to have 24 in operation by 2023, the government said on Sunday as Prime Minister David Cameron prepared to step up the case for the U.K. to carry out airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria.

"The Ministry of Defense confirmed the F-35 plans, which represent a significant increase and acceleration in what many were expecting, but declined to give cost or other details."

It is worth considering the costs and other details another eight years of terror will inflict upon poor Muslims in Syria, as well as monitor the private profits shareholders and execs at Lockheed Martin, along with their useful political shills, will acquire before the next US Presidential election sham arrives.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-plans-fighter-jet-purchases-amid-push-for-syria-air-strikes-1448201759

Other than in its narrowest tactical terms, "shock and awe" hasn't translated operational success into conclusive political success. Maybe that "failure" is part of US strategy in the Middle East.

Strategy in the sense of "the principled application of power to achieve objectives of first order importance."

Good strategy sees around the curve, it anticipates or at least it can accommodate the unexpected.

Not exactly what the US military has displayed over the past four decades of its war for the Greater Middle East.
https://www.edx.org/course/war-greater-middle-east-bux-intl301x-0

@Poseidon Atlantis I don't understand your point. What do you think should be done, if anything, about Syria? What is your point about 1984?

Hi Max , the underlying nations in 1984 are in a permenant state of war. The war is between different groups apparently chosen by the governments and changing at their whim. When we were to.d that Syria was the wicked Arrafat who should step down he was bad, now ( unless I missed a twist in policy somewhere he is our friend and those ( formerly freedom fighters) have turned into terrorists. Mind , they did blow up some interesting artefacts .

Poseidon Atlantis said:

Hi Max , the underlying nations in 1984 are in a permenant state of war. The war is between different groups apparently chosen by the governments and changing at their whim. When we were to.d that Syria was the wicked Arrafat who should step down he was bad, now ( unless I missed a twist in policy somewhere he is our friend and those ( formerly freedom fighters) have turned into terrorists. Mind , they did blow up some interesting artefacts .

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Ummm, dude, Yasser Arafat died in 2004 and was the leader of the PLO. Bashar al-Assad is the present leader of Syria, a dictator who took over from his dictator father, Hafez al-Assad.

Who do you think "told" us all of this? The Zionists? The evil media? Who?

Max R. said:

Ummm, dude, Yasser Arafat died in 2004 and was the leader of the PLO. Bashar al-Assad is the present leader of Syria, a dictator who took over from his dictator father, Hafez al-Assad.

Who do you think "told" us all of this? The Zionists? The evil media? Who?

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Hi Max , sorry that was trick of auto correct ! I meant Assad. Of course

Poseidon Atlantis said:

Hi Max , sorry that was trick of auto correct ! I meant Assad. Of course

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Thanks for the clarification, PA.

Still, there are so many sources of information available that we don't have to simply take the word of a single government that Assad is a [Unwelcome language removed] assh*le.