When Assad threatened the world with terror if it supported the rebellion, the world shrugged its shoulders.
When Assad formed ISIS, the world ignored Assad’s creation as just another weak ploy.
When Assad began buying oil from the Islamists to increase their terror after letting them occupy his oil fields, some eyebrows were raised.
When Assad policy of deliberately targeting the Syrian civilians helped ISIS recruit European Muslim nationals, the alarm bells sounded, but no panic mode yet.
When the West fought back by locking-up ISIS returnees, Assad pushed ISIS to form the Islamic State.
When the West fought back by mounting air strikes against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, Assad barrel bombs targeting civilians pushed the Syrian refugees towards Europe.
The West then raised the white flag. It no longer could afford to strike ISIS and absorb hundreds of thousands of refugees simultaneously. Every EU leader is calling for Assad to stay. Europe is in a panic mode today.
Putin invaded Syria victorious to re-establish Assad by finishing off his enemies; but not ISIS that he needs to play against the West going forward and as an insurance policy against regime change in Syria.
Barack Obama, in the meantime, has been enjoying a grand summer with plenty of food, beer, and golf. Doing nothing has become Obama’s hallmark tenure at the White House. The man thinks his election is a reward of some sort.
The West lost in Syria. The winners are Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime if Putin succeeds in defeating the opposition to Assad.
When the U.N. opens its session today with Syria, ISIS, and Syrian refugees on top of its agenda, one knows Europe is in a panic mode over how Russia and Iran duped its leaders and Barack Obama.
Most Syrians are betting he won’t be able. The resilience of the Islamist fighters is not be underestimated. They will keep coming over and over until the best equipped armies in the world simply gets demoralized and tired. We have seen this scenario in Afghanistan before and TFS believes we will see it again in Syria.
Meanwhile, whether the Gulf countries are in a panic mode or not is unknown. They know that if Iran controls Syria, their turn comes next. They will do anything to bog down the Russians and the Iranian in Syria.
Not arming the Assad opposition is a policy that has existential repercussions for the Gulf countries.
COMMENTS