Syria Is Now Saudi Arabia’s Problem

[Bubblegum Crisis]

^^

Syria Is Now Saudi Arabia’s Problem

The battle for a town on the Lebanese border marks the kingdom’s first attempt to lead Syria’s fractured opposition.

By Hassan Hassan | June 6, 2013

Hezbollah can finally claim a victory in Syria. The town of Qusayr, adjacent to the Lebanese border, has fallen to the Lebanese militia after nearly a month of fierce battles with Syrian rebels. Dozens of Hezbollah’s fighters have been killed, despite air cover and ground support from Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The Qusayr battle has been constantly, and wrongly, described as a turning point in the Syrian war. Why has this small town of some 30,000 residents become “strategic,” as it is constantly described in the press, all of a sudden? The town had previously been run by its Sunni residents for more than a year, with little mention of its strategic benefits.

Hezbollah’s open military intervention in Syria partly explains the publicity the Qusayr battle has received. As a result, the “Party of God” has lost much of its political and ideological capital in the region — a capital the militia had painstakingly acquired from its three-decade career of “resisting” Israel.

But beyond the supposed military benefits of Qusayr, the battle for the town carried important consequences for the balance of power within the Syrian opposition. Qusayr is arguably the first battle in Syria to be completely sponsored by Saudi Arabia, marking the kingdom’s first foray outside its sphere of influence along the Jordanian border. Riyadh has now taken over Qatar’s role as the rebels’ primary patron: In one sense, the Saudis can also claim a victory in Qusayr, as they have successfully put various rebel forces under the command of their ally in the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Chief of Staff Gen. Salim Idriss.

Although the Syrian rebels received military aid from various countries and private donors, Qatar initially emerged as the main sponsor of the opposition. Its alliance with Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood helped it control the political opposition and the armed rebels’ most prominent factions, including Liwa al-Tawhid in Aleppo.

But under increased pressure from the Untied States, Qatar has recently handed over the “Syrian dossier” to Saudi Arabia. Members of the Syrian opposition coalition made a two-day visit last month to Riyadh for the first time to coordinate with the Saudis. The opposition’s delegates were asked by Riyadh to restructure the Syrian National Coalition, the umbrella group for the opposition, which they bitterly did three weeks later.

In response, Saudi Arabia has stepped up its aid. Riyadh provided the rebels with 35 tons of weapons, though the kingdom failed to provide them with the better-quality arms the FSA’s chief of staff had requested. Significantly, Liwa al-Tawhid joined the battles in Qusayr — a significant step, because the militia had always worked closely, and almost exclusively, with the Qataris and the Brotherhood. According to Gulf sources close to the Syrian opposition, Liwa al-Tawhid’s commander, Abdulqader al-Saleh, has recently met with representatives of Saudi intelligence to coordinate military activities. Rebel fighters from Aleppo’s Military Council and from the eastern province of Deir Ezzor also joined the battles.

The kingdom’s clients have been making progress on the political level as well: Idriss has recently acquired wide-ranging powers within the Syrian National Coalition. Sources familiar with the opposition’s talks in Istanbul last month told me the general was given a veto over the 14 provincial representatives from Syria’s provinces, in addition to the 15 seats given to the Free Syrian Army. These combined 29 seats — added to the eight seats given to the opposition figure Michel Kilo and 13 to the Democratic List, an alliance essentially backed by Riyadh — significantly expanded Saudi Arabia’s influence on the coalition and undermined the previous dominance of the Brotherhood.


Foreign Policy

Saudi Arabia prevails over Qatar on Syria issue

Imposes itself as main outside force supporting the Syrian rebels

Reuters
Published: 23:17 June 7, 2013

BEIRUT: Saudi Arabia has prevailed over its small but ambitious Gulf neighbour Qatar to impose itself as the main outside force supporting the Syrian rebels, a move that may curb the influence of Qatari-backed Islamist militants.

Though governments in neither Riyadh nor Doha would provide official comment, several senior sources in the region told Reuters that the past week’s wrangling among Syria’s opposition factions in Istanbul was largely a struggle for control between the two Gulf monarchies, in which Saudi power finally won out.

“Saudi Arabia is now formally in charge of the Syria issue,” said a senior rebel military commander in one of northern Syria’s border provinces where Qatar has until now been the main supplier of arms to those fighting President Bashar Al Assad.

The outcome, many Syrian opposition leaders hope, could strengthen them in both negotiations and on the battlefield - while hampering some of the anti-Western Islamist hardliners in their ranks whom they say Qatar has been helping with weaponry.

Anger at a failure by one such Qatari-backed Islamist unit in a battle in April that gave Syrian government forces control of a key highway helped galvanise the Saudis, sources said, while Qatari and Islamist efforts to control the opposition political body backfired by angering Riyadh and Western powers.

The northern rebel commander said Saudi leaders would no longer let Qatar take the lead but would themselves take over the dominant role in channelling support into Syria.

“The Saudis met leaders of the Free Syrian Army, including officers from the Military Council in Jordan and Turkey, and have agreed that they will be supporting the rebels,” he said after attending one of those meetings himself.

Prince Salman Bin Sultan, a senior Saudi security official, was now running relations with the Syrian rebels, backed by his elder brother, intelligence chief Prince Bandar Bin Sultan.

Qatar also gave ground in the political field, accepting finally, late on Thursday, that the National Coalition should add a non-Islamist bloc backed by Saudi Arabia.

“In the end Qatar did not want a confrontation with Saudi Arabia and accepted the expansion,” said a source close to the liberals who were allowed to join a body which the United States and European Union want to become a transitional government.

The rebels, whose disunity has been a hindrance both in the field and in manoeuvring for a possible international peace conference in the coming weeks, still face a huge task to topple Al Assad, who has long labelled his enemies Islamist “terrorists” and has his own powerful allies abroad, notably Iran and Russia.


SAUDI CONTROL

Describing the shift in military supervision, several sources from the political and military leadership of the Syrian opposition and a Saudi source said that anyone, whether a state or among wealthy Arabs who have been making private donations to the rebel cause, would now need the Saudi princes’ approval over what is supplied to whom if they wish to send arms into Syria.

Qatari help was still expected. But a division between a Qatari sphere of influence on the northern border with Turkey and a Saudi sphere on the southern, Jordanian border was over.

“The goal is to be effective and avoid arms getting into the wrong hands like before,” said a senior Saudi source. “Saudi and Qatar share the same goal. We want to see an end to [Al] Bashar’s rule and stop the bloodshed of the innocent Syrian people.”

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are close allies in many respects: both armed by the United States, as Sunni Muslims they share an interest in thwarting Shiite, non-Arab Iran and its Arab allies - Shiites in Iraq and Lebanon and Al Assad’s Syrian Alawites. Both also want to preserve the absolute domestic power of the ruling dynasties and Western demand for their vast energy resources.

But their interests diverge, particularly over Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups viewed with suspicion by Western powers and in Riyadh. As in Syria, Qatar has delivered extensive financial and other support to Islamists who have risen to prominence in Egypt and Libya as a result of the Arab Spring pro-democracy protests of 2011.

Keen to punch above its weight in the world, independent of its dominant Saudi neighbour, Qatar hosts both a major US air base and influential Islamists exiled from other Arab states; while preserving autocracy at home it has also aided liberals abroad, not least through its Al Jazeera satellite TV channel.

Saudi Arabia, whose king enjoys special status with the Sunni rebels as guardian of the holy city of Makkah, has long been suspicious of the Muslim Brotherhood. In the Cold War, it lent it support as a counterbalance to leftist Arab nationalism which threatened the traditional Gulf monarchies. But the US-allied kingdom now sees political Islam as a graver threat.

Riyadh’s view of Syrian Islamist rebels is also influenced to some extent by its experience backing Arabs who flocked to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s; some returned home, like the Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden, to wage a campaign of violence intended to topple the house of Saud.


“FINAL STRAWS”

Two events finally prompted Saudi Arabia and the United States to lose patience with Qatar’s Syrian role - one on the battlefield and another among the political opposition in exile.

In mid-April, Al Assad’s troops broke a six-month rebel blockade of the Wadi Al Deif military base on Syria’s key north-south highway, after a rebel brigade that was seen as close to Qatar broke ranks - exposing fellow fighters to a government counterattack that led to the deaths of 68 of their number.

A rebel commander, based near Damascus and familiar with the unit which buckled, said its failure had been due to its leaders having preferred using their local power to get rich rather than fighting Al Assad - a common accusation among the fractious rebels:

“Qatar’s bet ... failed especially in the Wadi Al Deif battle. The regime managed to break through them after they became the new local warlords, caring for money and power, not the cause,” the senior commander told Reuters. That battlefield collapse infuriated Qatar’s allies in the anti-Al Assad alliance.

“The straw that broke the camel’s back was the failure to take over Wadi Al Deif camp,” the commander said.

In diplomatic struggles, Western nations were angered by the appointment by the opposition in mid-March of Gassan Hitto as the exiles’ prime minister. He was seen by Western diplomats as Qatar’s Islamist candidate and Hitto’s rejection of talks with Al Assad’s government was seen as a block to negotiating a peace.

For one Western diplomat familiar with deliberations in the Friends of Syria alliance that backs the rebels, choosing Hitto was “the final straw” in galvanising the Western powers behind the move to rein in Qatar by promoting Saudi leadership.

“They wanted to clip the wings of the Muslim Brotherhood,” the Syrian commander from the north said.

For Saudi Arabia and its Western allies, concerned that the fall of Al Assad might mean a hostile, Islamist state, Qatar’s flaw was an enthusiasm for winning the war - as it helped Libyan rebels do in 2011 - without ensuring how any peace might look.

A Syrian rebel military source who has been close to Saudi officials expressed it thus: “Qatar tried to carve out a role for itself. But it did so without wisdom: they had no clear plan or a view of what would happen later. They just want to win.”

Quote 3 :

Will U.S. arm Syrian rebels? White House to discuss it this week

By Elise Labott, CNN
June 10, 2013 -- Updated 0211 GMT (1011 HKT)

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Obama administration officials confirm there will be White House meetings this week on Syria, where discussion of possibly sending lethal weapons to Syrian rebels will be on the agenda.

The officials stressed no final decisions have been made, although they said President Barack Obama was inching closer to signing off on arming moderate rebel units that had been vetted.

The White House meetings will also discuss a possible no-fly zone, although officials said that was less likely.

The interagency discussions come as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has made gains against the opposition in the past few weeks, including capturing Qusayr, the embattled town near the border with Lebanon. Also, Hezbollah has become more active in the fighting on behalf of the Syrian regime. The opposition has warned the Obama administration that without immediate support, they could face crippling losses.

Secretary of State John Kerry postponed a trip this week to the Middle East to participate in the meetings, the officials said.

"At the president's direction, his national security team continues to consider all possible options that would accomplish our objectives of helping the Syrian opposition serve the essential needs of the Syrian people and hastening a political transition to a post-Assad Syria," National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said.

"We have prepared a wide range of options for the president's consideration, and internal meetings to discuss the situation in Syria are routine," she said. "The United States will continue to look for ways to strengthen the capabilities of the Syrian opposition, though we have no new announcements at this time."

More than 70,000 Syrians -- most of them civilians -- have been killed in the two-year conflict, according to the United Nations.


STORY HIGHLIGHTS

- White House will hold meetings this week on possibility of sending lethal weapons to rebels

- Officials: President closer to signing off on plan to arm moderate rebel units

- White House meetings will also discuss a possible no-fly zone


CNN

 

[xyxmt]

^^











Quote 3 :

Will U.S. arm Syrian rebels? White House to discuss it this week

By Elise Labott, CNN
June 10, 2013 -- Updated 0211 GMT (1011 HKT)

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Obama administration officials confirm there will be White House meetings this week on Syria, where discussion of possibly sending lethal weapons to Syrian rebels will be on the agenda.

The officials stressed no final decisions have been made, although they said President Barack Obama was inching closer to signing off on arming moderate rebel units that had been vetted.

The White House meetings will also discuss a possible no-fly zone, although officials said that was less likely.

The interagency discussions come as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has made gains against the opposition in the past few weeks, including capturing Qusayr, the embattled town near the border with Lebanon. Also, Hezbollah has become more active in the fighting on behalf of the Syrian regime. The opposition has warned the Obama administration that without immediate support, they could face crippling losses.

Secretary of State John Kerry postponed a trip this week to the Middle East to participate in the meetings, the officials said.

"At the president's direction, his national security team continues to consider all possible options that would accomplish our objectives of helping the Syrian opposition serve the essential needs of the Syrian people and hastening a political transition to a post-Assad Syria," National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said.

"We have prepared a wide range of options for the president's consideration, and internal meetings to discuss the situation in Syria are routine," she said. "The United States will continue to look for ways to strengthen the capabilities of the Syrian opposition, though we have no new announcements at this time."

More than 70,000 Syrians -- most of them civilians -- have been killed in the two-year conflict, according to the United Nations.


STORY HIGHLIGHTS

- White House will hold meetings this week on possibility of sending lethal weapons to rebels

- Officials: President closer to signing off on plan to arm moderate rebel units

- White House meetings will also discuss a possible no-fly zone


CNN

why did they employ General Pasha for?

 

[bdslph]

Sad to say that Saudi supports violence

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

lol

Don't worry! We have everything you need.

We'll do the job alone if he must and we do not ask ‘anyone's permission’.

You'll love - Shittes, Russia and ‘all others’ those who love so the Sunni Arab of Middle East -. ^^

 

[airmarshal]

This shia sunni argument, aggravated primarily by Saudi Arabia is going to rip apart the Muslim world. It will be weak and fighting among itself for decades to come. This will be such a blessing for their enemies in the region and worldwide.

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

This shia sunni argument, aggravated primarily by Saudi Arabia is going to rip apart the Muslim world...

lol




The facts. Syria is Sunni not ‘Shia Alawite’.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/middle...ws-discussions-thread-2-a-64.html#post4376699

 

[airmarshal]

lol




The facts. Syria is Sunni not ‘Shia Alawite’.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/middle...ws-discussions-thread-2-a-64.html#post4376699

Should I laugh or cry at your answer.

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

I have a better solution. ^^

 

[Cyberian]

... Then the Islamic Republic of Pakistan must prepare to fully support the brotherly Saudi Kingdom with whatever it requires.

 

[Hashshāshīn]

... Then the Islamic Republic of Pakistan must prepare to fully support the brotherly Saudi Kingdom with whatever it requires.

First try to control your own country...

 

[Cyberian]

First try control your own country...

Protection of the Cities of ALLAH and His Beloved Rasool Sallallahu Alaihi Wa-Alihi Was-Sallam is more important than the protection of the cities of Pakistan.

 

[Broccoli]

lol

Don't worry! We have everything you need.

We'll do the job alone if he must and we do not ask ‘anyone's permission’.

You'll love - Shittes, Russia and ‘all others’ those who love so the Sunni Arab of Middle East -. ^^

Last time when KSA did go to war they got their *** kicked by Houthis. There is a reason why many (all) Gulf states hire western military advisors to serve in their armed forces... or mercenaries like Academi (blackwater).

Advisors come from as far away as Finland.
Suomen Sotilas 4/2012 | Suomen Sotilas

 

[Wright]

Protection of the Cities of ALLAH and His Beloved Rasool Sallallahu Alaihi Wa-Alihi Was-Sallam is more important than the protection of the cities of Pakistan.

That is a pretty strong statement, do most of countrymen feel the same way?

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Last time when KSA did go to war they got their *** kicked by Houthis. There is a reason why many (all) Gulf states hire western military advisors to serve in their armed forces...

Of course ! ^^

You, Arab ! Be, Indigenous...

Dazzling new weapons require new rules for war

By David Ignatius
Thursday, November 11, 2010

A new arsenal of drones and satellite-guided weapons is changing the nature of warfare. America and its NATO allies possess these high-tech weapons, but smaller countries want them, too. Here's an inside glimpse of how the process of technology transfer works:

A year ago, Saudi Arabia was fighting a nasty border war against the Houthi rebels across its frontier with Yemen. The Saudis began bombing Houthi targets inside Yemen on Nov. 5, 2009, but the airstrikes were inaccurate, and there were reports of civilian casualties.

The Saudis appealed to America for imagery from U.S. surveillance satellites in space, so they could target more precisely. Gen. David Petraeus, who was Centcom commander at the time, is said to have backed the Saudi request, but it was opposed by the State Department and others. They warned that intervening in this border conflict, even if only by providing targeting information, could violate the laws of war.

So the Saudis turned elsewhere for help - to France, which has its own reconnaissance satellites. The French, who were worried that imprecise Saudi bombing was creating too many civilian casualties in Yemen, agreed to help. The necessary details were arranged within days.

When French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Riyadh on Nov. 17, he was ready to open the new intelligence liaison channel. A Saudi official recalls that by the first night of Sarkozy's visit, detailed pictures of the Yemeni battle space began to move electronically to the Saudis.

Using this precise satellite intelligence, the Saudis were able to monitor the Houthis' hideouts, equipment dumps and training sites. Saudi warplanes then attacked with devastating effectiveness. Within a few weeks, the Houthis were requesting a truce, and by February this chapter of the border war was over.

For the Saudis, this was an important military success. "The French were extremely helpful" and their assistance "was a key reason we were able to force the Houthis to capitulate," says a Saudi official.


The Washington Post

Continue... See old links :

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/73050-saudi-air-force-land-forces-navy-83.html#post4333591

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-d...er-sees-inspiration-sheppard.html#post4237376

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-d...ir-f-16-maintenance-training.html#post4346552

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-d...ir-f-16-maintenance-training.html#post4346566

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-d...ir-f-16-maintenance-training.html#post4346584

 

[Zabaniyah]

You'll love - Shittes, Russia and ‘all others’ those who love so the Sunni Arab of Middle East -. ^^

Man, you are insane...