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Worries about a "Failed State" in Syria
(Washington Post) David Ignatius - An intelligence report provided to the State Department last week by Syrian sources working with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) describes the situation in the area from Aleppo to the Turkish border, where Assad's army has largely disappeared. The report draws a picture of disorganized fighters, greedy arms peddlers and profiteering warlords. "There are hundreds of small groups (10-20 fighters) spread all over the area of Aleppo," notes the report. "The FSA has [been] transformed into disorganized rebel groups, infiltrated by large numbers of criminals.... Warlords are a reality on the ground now." This security vacuum appears to have helped Jabhat al-Nusra, which is allied with al-Qaeda. The group is benefiting not just from its prowess on the battlefield but from its refusal to engage in looting and other predatory behavior. If this trend continues, "the extremist groups will turn into the 'savior' for Syrian people from the warlords."