WarSclerotic

The violence in Syria claimed more victims on Thursday. The struggle in recent days has not only been between President Bashar Assad’s forces and the rebels, but also among the rebels themselves.

TIME Magazine reported this week on fighting between jihadist and secular rebel groups for control of the city of Tel Abyad near the Turkish border. This is just a preview of what is to come in Syria.

Moaz al-Khatib, the outgoing head of the Syrian National Coalition (he announced his resignation due to internal conflicts among the rebels), represented Syria at the Arab League summit in Doha this week. Al-Khatib complained that the world, especially the U.S., is not doing enough for the rebels. But the world is divided over Syria.

The Syrian opposition’s lack of unity is a result of the divisions in the international community. Everyone knows that the West supports the rebels, while Russia and China, along with Iran and Algeria, support the Assad regime. But the problem is that the support for the rebels is split. The religious rebels are supported by Qatar and Turkey, while the secular rebels are supported by Saudi Arabia and the U.S.

One can already see the Syrian opposition battling within itself over what will happen the day after Assad falls. Earlier this month, Turkey and Qatar promoted the candidacy of former businessman Ghassan Hitto to become prime minister of an interim rebel government to rule over “liberated areas.” Saudi Arabia opposed “Qatar’s candidate,” which led the Free Syrian Army to announce it would not recognize Hitto’s authority. Is this how you build a country?

The bitter rivalry between Qatar and Saudi Arabia is not only making the current situation in Syria more difficult, but also raises concerns about Syria’s post-Assad future. Qatar and Turkey are helping the Muslim Brotherhood, while Saudi Arabia is helping defectors from the Syrian military. Qatar and Saudi Arabia each have their own television channels. It is no wonder that commentators on Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya paint different pictures of the situation in Syria. Given the state of the opposition and the international community, it is not surprising that Assad is still surviving.