(Institute for the Study of War) Joseph Holliday - As of June 2012, the opposition controls large swaths of Syria's northern and central countryside. The insurgency has expanded to an estimated 40,000 men and new local rebel groups continue to form. Viable provincial military councils - operating under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army but making their own operational decisions - have formed in Homs, Hama, Idlib, Deraa, and Damascus. External support must flow into Syria in a way that reinforces the growth of legitimate and stable structures within the Syrian opposition movement.
2012-06-25 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive