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Syrian Rebels in Trouble: German Intelligence Sees Assad Regaining Hold
(Der Speigel-Germany) Matthias Gebauer - Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the BND, has fundamentally changed its view of the ongoing civil war in Syria. The BND now believes the Syrian military is capable of undertaking successful operations against rebel units at will. Assad's troops once again possess effective supply lines to ensure sufficient quantities of weapons and other materiel. Fuel supplies for tanks and military aircraft, which had proved troublesome, are once again available. The BND does not believe that Assad's military is strong enough to defeat the rebels, but it can improve its position in the current stalemate. Fighters loyal to Assad have expelled rebel fighters from several districts on the edge of Damascus and cut off their supply lines. Meanwhile, the different rebel groups are fighting with each other to attain supremacy in individual regions. The BND says there is no functional chain of command between opposition leaders abroad and the militias inside of Syria. The fighters on the ground simply don't recognize the political leadership.