by Ezra Van Auken

Over the weekend, President Assad’s regime forces took to the sky during a bombing campaign over the Latakia province, a northern Alawite region where analysts say Assad has the most influence and stronghold. The State Weekly reported last Wednesday that al-Qaeda offshoots and Islamist rebels built an offensive on many towns in the Latakia province, which resulted in many captured villages as well as Alawite residents and alleged pro-government forces. What was once Assad’s most influential area is now under siege by rebels.

Responding to the hundreds of Latakia residents captured and towns overtaken, Assad’s forces on Saturday bombed the village of Salma, hoping to grip the region from Islamists. Reuters reported, “As many as 20 people were killed in the air strikes on the village of Salma, including 10 civilians, six Syrian fighters and four foreign fighters.” It’s unclear if the bombing had any major impact on the rebel offensive. After rebels took much of the Latakia province last week, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) noted that it’s a “safe place”.

Of course, just in the past year, the Syrian civil war has become fueled by sectarian strife between Sunni Islamists, moderate Sunnis and Shi’ite offshoots like the Alawites. Considering prior mistreatment by the Islamists to Shi’ite village people, the chance that al-Qaeda offshoots have started imposing their rule over villagers in the area is likely. “Al-Qaeda backed groups that have taken as many as 400 Alawites have yet to decide their fates,” The State Weekly reported. This has prompted US officials to fear the unknown.

Washington has made the realization that since Syria’s war began, there have been outsiders and insiders, both of which represent the Islamist extremist factions. These al-Qaeda influenced groups have not trickled out of the picture either; in fact they’ve only grown due to the increasingly sectarian nature of the war. Understanding the nature of Syria’s two-year battle, CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell said a Syrian overthrow is the biggest threat to US interests, at this point.

If toppled and Syria hasn’t yet decided on a transitional government, the CIA Deputy Director believes with a loose hand on post-Assad’s weapons, Islamists could grab hold. Morell said the weapons, including warheads “are going to be up for grabs and up for sale” and considering al-Qaeda’s presence in the region, more could go wrong than right. “The dispersal of al-Qaeda is their victory,” Morell said. In the CIA official’s eyes, Syria is “probably the most important issue in the world today because of where it is currently heading;” prompting more work by the Obama administration.

In collaboration with Gulf countries, the US intelligence community has been directly involved with indirectly funding Syria’s opposition. There have been airlifts for over a year. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others have assisted US intelligence in funneling weapons through the Turkish border. Ironically, as Morell calls out the potential threat Islamists pose on Western interests, the CIA unfortunately broad brushes the situation in Syria, indirectly handing weapons to the Islamists.

Image Reference

Associated Press