Just yesterday the Syrian Free Army announced that it would continue its terror campaign:
Syria's rebel leader has threatened to resume attacks because President Bashar Assad's government has not honoured a ceasefire, a pan-Arab newspaper reported today.
Free Syrian Army chief Riad al-Asaad told the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that "our people are demanding that we defend them".
Today two suicide bombers in two cars used 1,000 kg explosives to kill at least 55 people and to injury nearly 400 in Damascus. That target was a military intelligence center though that was only slightly damaged and most of the victims were just normal people on their way to work.
That is seemingly "defending our people" in the warped mind of that Colonel.
It is obvious that the Free Syrian Army are not people fighting for some right to protest. These are serious terrorist and if Syria does not get rid of them the problems they pose will also infect the neighboring countries foremost Lebanon and Jordan.
It is ridiculous that such slaughter and the danger of it spreading is now even used to argue for more violence and open war on Syria:
Anne-Marie Slaughter, a professor at Princeton, used to be the policy planning director at the State Department. She says the presence of jihadist groups in Syria shouldn't dissuade the U.S. and its allies from intervening. Rather, she says, it should wake them up to the dangers that a prolonged conflict in Syria could create.
More terrorism or war on Syrian will not be good for anyone in the Middle East. It is high time for Turkey and Lebanon to shut down those armed groups that use their territory for retreat and training and to stop the arms smuggling.
Kofi Annan is working on a plan to find a political solution for the regime and its domestic opposition. Such a solution might well be possible but it would not solve the problem of the violent extremists that are now trying to sabotage the plan and to take over the country.
There now needs to be an extended plan that will allow for and support the Syrian government and its people in their fight against the jihadis. This is in the interest of everyone except those Saudi Wahabbis who are sending and supporting these fighters.
I do expect that the Russians will forward some initiative on this. Unfortunately the U.S., with even Senator Kerry arguing for more arms for those fighters, is unlikely to be helpful in this regard. This unreasonableness will likely cost much more blood and may well, like the war on Iraq, end in a mess that everyone will later regret and lament about.