(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Jeffrey White - Since early October, rebel forces have been on the offensive in key theaters, while regime forces are stretched thin, increasingly on the defensive, and giving ground. The cumulative effects of rebel operations are significant and mounting. Furthermore, they hold the military initiative in key areas of the country. Based on daily casualty reporting from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, regime forces averaged nearly 50 personnel killed per day in October, up from 35 in September. And in the first eleven days of November, the average rose to 53. The fighting in Idlib and Aleppo is accelerating and moving more and more against the regime. Clashes have also increased in the countryside around Damascus and even within the capital itself. The war in Syria may be approaching a decisive stage, and in favor of the rebels. The writer is a defense fellow at The Washington Institute and a former senior defense intelligence officer.
2012-11-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive