This week has been a bad one for the Assad regime in Syria, footage
released on Monday by rebel fighters shows them taking down a Syrian jet
fighter. This is a very significant moment, being able to take out a jet means
that the rebels have the gun power to do so; previously all they had were a few
Kalashnikovs. Whether these weapons were stolen from the regime or supplied by
Gulf nations, we do not know, but it still represents (another) significant
turning point for the civil war in Syria. The symbolism of this jet’s
destruction will hopefully encourage more Syrians to abandon the regime in
favour of the revolution. But there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Assad
still controls the sky, this is only one jet in the entire military and can
easily be replaced.
The ex-PM, Riad Hijab, has spoken publically for the first
time since his defection, in a speech he said that the Syrian regime was “near
collapse” and encouraged other leaders to defect to the rebels and to tip the
scales.
No doubt there will be more high profile defections to come;
the ones in the regime with less personal loyalty to the regime will begin to
recognise that Assad will soon be gone. If they wish to have power in a new
Syria, and save their lives, they will have no choice but to defect. This is what
happened in both Libya and Egypt, when the tyrants’ days were numbered people
saved their own lives by joining the rebels. Likely I will be writing about
Syria again before the week is out…
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