Brett Daniel Shehadey
Special Contributor for In Homeland Security
As the Syrian security forces regain control of key cities throughout Syria, with the help of their foreign backers Russia, Iran and the Hezbollah terrorists, the Syrian Opposition is forced into a war of last resort. Previously, much of the Syrian Opposition was and still is made up of the Muslim Brotherhood. Their tactics tended to be that of conventional and guerrilla warfare, but as of January they set up a secret police of their own. The more radical salfaist groups that fight against the international jihadists flooding into the country will likely find themselves employing similar tactics as al Qaeda in Iraq; in spite of the fact that al Qaeda number one Ayman al Zawahiri called for their separation as two distinct terrorist networks because there was infighting.
In the heart of Syria’s capitol, two suicide bombers killed 14 civilians and injuring 30. In early April there was a car bomb set off in Damascus that initial reports said killed 15. This last one was reported to be near a police station where a suicide bomber detonated inside. The Syrian state run media reported both incidents.
The progression of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks within Syria has increased while the uses of intimidation, torture and assassination from the Syrian government continue. In sponsoring terrorists for decades, the government methods finally come back to haunt them and they may not be going away any time soon.
The reason for suicide bombings is not only about desperation and retaliation between hate filled rivals; nor is it in this case a factor of demoralizing the enemy as much as it is a matter of jihad. If your enemy and his children are working for Satan, then it is easiest to kill them all and die a martyr. This is a matter of sectarian genocide for the most extreme groups.
But it is also a bloody evil game of terrorist versus terrorist. The Shite Hezbollah has the proxy advantage but Sunni jihadist fighters can enter in from Iraq. Both are proven at employing terrorist methods. Even the Syrian government is active with similar tactics of state terror. Yet the Hezbollah operating in Syria have two missions: defensive and offensive. They are effectively playing a counterinsurgency role: defend and hold; target and assassination.
Moreover, as the Syrian forces take a city, Hezbollah can go in on the ground and help the security forces act as a “feeler” that identifies friend and foe; eliminating suspected rebels. They can use their terrorist art along with the mukhabarat (secret police.).
Aside from foreign state sponsorship of Russia and Iran, these new operational tactics and supplies are placing Syria ahead and forcing the Syrian Opposition to flee before them. Working at all levels means there is no place to hide for the more conventional Syrian Opposition. Yet even this does not solve the threat to Syria’s government from jihadist recruitment practices within Syrian society. There are more Sunnis in Syria than Shites, even with Hezbollah, by a factor of almost 6 to 1.
Comments are closed.