Syria: disillusioned rebels drift back to take Assad amnesty – Telegraph
Syria: disillusioned rebels drift back to take Assad amnesty – Telegraph.
( If true, it’s too late for the West to make a difference. – JW )
Hundreds of men who took up arms against President Bashar al-Assad are defecting back to the government side, The Telegraph has learnt.
Disillusioned by the Islamist twist that the “revolution” in Syria has taken, exhausted after more than two years of conflict and feeling that they are losing, growing numbers of rebels are signing up to a negotiated amnesty offered by the Assad regime.
At the same time, the families of retreating fighters have begun quietly moving back to government-controlled territory, seen as a safer place to live as the regime continues its intense military push against rebel-held areas.
The move is a sign of the growing confidence of the regime, which has established a so-called “ministry of reconciliation” with the task of easing the way for former opponents to return to the government side.
Ali Haider, the minister in charge, said: “Our message is, ‘if you really want to defend the Syrian people, put down your weapons and come and defend Syria in the right way, through dialogue’.”
Mr Haider, who has a reputation as a moderate within the regime, has established a system in which opposition fighters give up their weapons in exchange for safe passage to government-held areas.
Rebel fighters have privately said that they are aware of the amnesty offer, and that some men had chosen to accept it, although they say that the numbers involved remains a small proportion of those fighting the government.
“I used to fight for revolution, but now I think we have lost what we were fighting for,” said Mohammed, a moderate Muslim rebel from the northern town of Raqqa who declined to give his last name. “Now extremists control my town. My family has moved back to government side because our town is too unsafe. Assad is terrible, but the alternative is worse.”
The prevalence of extremist Islamist groups in rebel-held areas, particularly in the north, has caused some opposition fighters to “give up” on their cause.
Ziad Abu Jabal comes from one of the villages in Homs province whose residents recently agreed to stop fighting the regime. “When we joined the demonstrations we wanted better rights,” he said. “After seeing the destruction and the power of jihadists, we came to an agreement with the government.”
Mr Haider said that he had attended a ceremony yesterday at which 180 opposition fighters rejoined the government’s police force, from which they had previously defected.
Although it was not possible to verify this claim, when The Daily Telegraph previously visited the reconciliation ministry’s headquarters in Damascus the office was crowded with the family members of rebels fighting in the city’s suburbs who said their men wanted to return.
A ministry negotiator, who gave his name only as Ahmed, was in the process of arranging the defection of a rebel commander and 10 of his men from the Ghouta district.
“It took us three months of negotiation and this is a test,” he said. “If this goes well, the commander says that 50 others will follow.”
He described the steps taken to allow the return of fighters willing to lay down their arms. First, he said, a negotiator must cross the front line for a meeting on rebel-held territory. “We have to hope the rebel commander orders his snipers not to shoot us.”
Would-be defectors were given papers allowing them to pass through Syrian army checkpoints, and then waited in a safe house until the officials could get their names removed from wanted lists held by the more hardline defence ministry and intelligence agencies.
The rebels “did not sign up to be part of extremist Islamist groups that have now gained influence”, he said. “Now they want to come back to a normal life.”
In the days before the regime took the town of Qusayr last month, The Telegraph saw mediators on the Lebanese border work with the Syrian army to secure an amnesty for fighters wanting to surrender.
The phone rang with desperate calls from the parents of the rebels. “These mothers know that this is the last chance for their sons. If they don’t give up their weapons now they will die because they are losing the battle,” said Ali Fayez Uwad, the mediator.
WarSclerotic 
July 24, 2013 at 7:21 PM
Only major outside intervention in the coming weeks/months can turn the tide. Lets wait and see what develops
July 24, 2013 at 7:24 PM
The Syrian (surrealistic) Tragedy is not ceasing to surprise the world time and time again. Those last events are not the first accords of an ”Assad summer”, but the symptoms of a tired people and an ill country, tired from extremism, slaughter and an endless war.
July 24, 2013 at 8:05 PM
Seems like more than a drift. It’s a changing tide, more like.—- Bear
July 24, 2013 at 8:24 PM
Syria is about to get ‘hot’
July 24, 2013 at 8:47 PM
i fully agree very hot we were talking today we think that X day is coming
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=094_1362188178
July 24, 2013 at 9:07 PM
The massive Russian military drill just keep coming:
http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20130723/182379543/Russias-Strategic-Missile-Forces-Start-Snap-Combat-Drills.html
July 24, 2013 at 9:38 PM
I predict that obama is removed from office by force in the coming months,if were lucky
July 24, 2013 at 9:58 PM
This has russia and china in mind
http://www.businessinsider.com/uss-gerald-r-ford-construction-of-the-most-expensive-ship-ever-2013-7
July 24, 2013 at 11:31 PM
“United States has not been attacked on the home front for 200 years dating back to the War of 1812. There exists a plethora of confirming information to support the fact that America’s days may be numbered and that we are totally unprepared for what is coming.”
That’s about how far into the article I was able to endure. The US has not been attacked here at home since 1812 (911 wasn’t an attack?). A plethora (what??) of confirming information (by who, a bunch of former commies?) to support the fact (fact? now its a fact?) that we (who are we?) are totally unprepared (what, no military?) for what is coming (absolutely going to happen?).
Don’t get me wrong Justice. This is not about anyone here my friend. I just get a bit ruffled when an article paints such a lame picture of the USA. The Russians may be a bit crazy, but they certainly are not stupid. They don’t even come close in terms of military strength, China included.
http://www.globalfirepower.com/
As for Obama, if he allows any harm to come to the homeland, he WILL be quickly removed from office with extreme prejudice.
July 25, 2013 at 1:22 PM
forget the article list the list of defectors,i want you to read up on they guy who wrote it is over the top,then read up about angleton and his defectors all said the same thing and its happening now the final phase
July 25, 2013 at 1:37 PM
Thees is also a consensus on this in our community at the moment,that is that there is something going on steve,The russian spent 30 years preparing for something with the Chinese so i wouldn’t write it off read up on this gut or read the book i have had to read thousand s of papers,and i was on the final phase panel in 2003,,our conclusion its a real,We also believe thats Putins speech on june the 22 2001 was the start of the final process look what going on in the world its almost bang on to what the defectors were telling us,Time will tell
New lies for old : the Communist strategy of deception and disinformation
New lies for old : the Communist strategy of deception and disinformation was merged with this page · Book
Written byAnatoliy Golitsyn
ISBN0370308050
July 25, 2013 at 4:02 PM
I cannot see the US military rolling over and allowing this to happen. If true, the US has the capability to destroy Russia many times over. Given this horrible scenario, what do the Russians stand to gain?
Still, your assertions trouble me Justice. Why? Because it’s possible there is a conspiracy under foot and I do not trust the political leadership (oxymoron) in this country. You seem to have decades of research in this chilling matter. May I ask who your ‘community’ is and what ‘panel’ you participated in in 2003? I’m not being cynical, just damned curious.
As you know, Louisiana is my home and according to estimates I’ve seen of nuclear strike probability, the Gulf Coast is a prime target given all the offshore drilling and development. In other words, I stand to be vaporized in the event all this comes to fruition. That’s why I ask.
July 25, 2013 at 4:25 PM
Troubles us all,you can see what i am getting at,its not going to plan if its true but it sure smells of conspiracy,i myself live in the center of two primary targets,no secret the Final phase panel col williiam wallice,i cant print who i work for here but ist someone you would be very familiar with,we dont fuck about were sworn anti communists, i was a undecided until 1995,then i had a Algerian defector admiral come and stay with me for 6 months what he had to say convinced me that there was a air truth in it,A leopard cant change its spots but it can dye its coat a new color,I think the truth is that ists true but the Russians had underestimated the military technological gains the USA and UK would make
July 25, 2013 at 4:40 PM
“…but the Russians had underestimated the military technological gains the USA and UK would make…”
That’s exactly what I believe. I truly feel the US military has some deadly tricks up their sleeve and will only reveal them when the time is right. Most everything else already in the world arena are quickly copied by the Russians and Chinese. I doubt much has been developed on their own accord. It’s tantamount we maintain absolute technological secrecy and use it to catch these bastards off guard if necessary. That’s our ‘ace up the sleeve’.
July 25, 2013 at 5:28 PM
Your so right there what we k now about is 20 years out of date,i hinted at things here in the past but thats nothing,incidentally there is something going on here is a constant procession of very large refueling tankers not seen this happen since the first gulf war,
July 25, 2013 at 5:40 PM
You think it might just be a cautious response to the Russian war games and/or their troubling presence in the Mediterranean? Trying to be optimistic here.
July 25, 2013 at 7:02 PM
i am on the west coast of the uk if i had to guess its something to do with that,the Russians are in the middle of the strategic missile force drill,all i can think of is theirs some long range sortie going on mid Atlantic,or were about to hit a carrier a eurofighter range is 864 miles without tanks its nearly double with tanks so you wonder,incidentally a EFA can kill all known aircrft including a mig 29 35 50 f22 f 35 ect
July 25, 2013 at 7:35 PM
I don’t know anything about all of the above conversation. However, I believe that the Russians have no respect for President Obama. The understand that the very last thing that Obama wants is for his Presidency to be remembered as a wartime one. So I expect the Russians to try to shove Obama’s face into the mud and laugh about it. Obama, having alienated almost everyone in Washington DC will be attacked from all sides.
July 25, 2013 at 7:57 PM
Obama could regain Putin’s respect if he dumped his wife for a young attractive woman.
July 25, 2013 at 8:17 PM
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/russia-carries-hezbollah-fighters-to-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nid=51354&NewsCatID=352
July 25, 2013 at 8:59 PM
Even a old attractive woman
July 25, 2013 at 10:36 PM
hey his wife’s a swinger no shit
July 25, 2013 at 8:43 PM
Justice, what color is the sky in your world?
July 25, 2013 at 8:54 PM
Black
July 25, 2013 at 9:13 PM
I was thinking Red. Red Sky Rising. 😉
July 25, 2013 at 10:33 PM
i just knew john wouldn’t like that answer,you have to take all this stuff with a pinch of salt,the world is a crazy place once you start looking whats under different stones,what crawls out is rarely pleasant,Therese usually a pesticide for it lol
July 25, 2013 at 10:36 PM
hey have you noticed tonys gone since i posted his wiki page or has jw booted him