WarSclerotic

Syrian rebels: Russian initiative ‘dirty deal’, only good for Israel – Israel News, Ynetnews.

Opposition laments positive attitude toward Russian compromise, urges US to revert back to attack plans. ‘Neutralizing Assad’s chemical weapons serves Israel, not the Syrian people,’ rebel commander says

Roi Kais

Syria’s opposition and rebel forces are fuming over US President Barack Obama and the West’s handling of the Syrian crisis, specifically the latest developments regarding the US attack on Syria.

Qassim Saad al-Din, a spokesman for the Syrian opposition military command, told the London-based paper Asharq Al-Awsat that the Russian compromise with the US regarding Syria’s chemical arms was reached “at the expense of the blood of the Syrian people.”

According to al-Din, “the only thing the West is interested in is protecting Israel and disarming the arms threatening it. The 100,000 killed in Syria do not top their priorities.”

Syrian rebels in Aleppo (Photo: Reuters)

Head of the Military Revolutionary Command in Aleppo, Abed al Jabar al Akhidi, said that “the international ploy to cancel the attack on Syria in return for the neutralization of chemical weapons is a dirty deal between Russia, Assad’s regime and the West.”

In an interview with Al Arabiya, al Akhidi said that “what is happening here is an attempt to help Obama save face after he climbed up onto a tree and the Russians pulled out his ladder.

“Neutralizing Assad’s chemical weapons serves Israel, not the Syrian people, because the international community’s attempt to disarm Assad from his chemical arms stems from the public outcry and not from the killing.”

Immediately following the publication of the Russian proposal, General Salim Idris, head of the Free Syrian Army, dismissively responded to the initiative, saying: “The (Syrian) regime has a massive arsenal, the size and location of which is unknown.” According to him, Assad should not be trusted and Syria responded positively only in a bid to postpone the American strike and “buy time.” He further urged the Americans not fall for the regime’s “deceit” and return to their attack plans.

‘Western promises are a joke’. Salim Idris (Photo: AFP)

After the British parliament decided against an attack, Idris said the decision would “leave us alone to be killed” by President Bashar Assad, and pave the way for al-Qaeda to dominate the rebel ranks. “What are our friends in the West waiting for?” Idris asked. “For Iran and Hezbollah to kill all the Syrian people?” “The West promises and promises. This is a joke now,” he concluded.

Unarmed Syrian opposition forces also expressed discontent from the favorable light in which the Russian compromise was greeted.

Ahmed Ramdan, a Syrian opposition member, expressed apprehension regarding the initiative, claiming he feared that it might be mistakenly understood by Assad as a green light to continue to conduct massacres against the Syrian people after he disarms from chemical weapons.

Nonetheless, he noted that he hoped the Syrian regime’s positive response to the initiative could signal the first step towards Assad’s unconditional surrender of power.

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