Salah-Eddine al-Ayoubi Army (Part 1)

[singlepic id=186 w=320 h=240 float=right]One of the time-resistant benefits to my good contacts with Syrian oppositionists today, who are active on the ground and are starting to bear arms to defend themselves, is the support RPS enjoyed under the Bush administration.

They all want to keep me knowledgeable in the hope the information gets to the “right people”. To them, the right people are the ones willing to take risks in the service of freedom and democracy and not the ones who support the Muslim Brotherhood.

This Blog is aimed at shedding light on a new rising power in the streets of Syria calling itself the Salah-Eddine al-Ayoubi Army (SAA). Only 30% of the information is disclosed to provide a minimum of credibility.

The Salah-Eddine al-Ayoubi Army (Saladin to historians) is named after the Kurdish warrior who defeated the Crusaders in the Battle of Hittin.

The founders claim they are anti-Muslim Brotherhood and plan to co-exist peacefully in the new Syria with all the minorities. If true, their choice of name for their Army is quite bizarre. The explanation given “The name rallies the Syrian people around the notion of victory, and is not a metaphor for our likely future behavior”.

It is true much of the information may aim at inflating the SAA’s position or powers, but some, when tied to other factors and facts I know of, is worthy to pay attention to.

One information I am starting to believe, known only to few handful of Syrians, is the true make-up of the Free Syrian Army in relation to the counter-attacks Syria is witnessing on a daily basis by defectors and the civilian population active in more than just protesting.

Although the Free Syrian Army takes credit for all the operations carried out against the regime and its security forces, many are the product of a civilian population starting to organize in militia groups across the country.

The result of the “resistance” policy of the Assad regime is full preparation to “resist” the enemy, which means mandatory military service for all able young Syrian men. It works to Assad’s benefit when he is strong but has the potential to destroy him when he is weak because hundreds of thousands of young Syrian men who have been trained to bear arms and go through extensive training can suddenly turn on the regime. 

Exactly what is happening in Syria today.

(End Part 1)