Al-Quseir Battle Exposes Armed Syrian Opposition’s Dispersal

Disputes among the armed groups under the names of “al-Nusra Front”, the so-called “Free Syrian Army” and other groups, brigades, and battalions emerged during the past few days. The so-called Syrian opposition abroad, especially the Syrian National Council (SNC) and the so-called Syrian Coalition, were feeble in giving instructions to the armed groups in battlefield to head to al-Quseir and support the encircled armed militiamen there.

In this regard, an opposing Syrian source pointed out that the so-called FSA’s commandment in Turkey told al-Farouq Battalion in the Northern countryside of Homs to supply al-Quseir front with fighters and weaponry as soon as possible.

However, the Battalion led by a “Hamza al-Shemali” defied orders under the pretext that “there is no secure route to al-Quseir, the Syrian Army having set ambushes on the roads and fields leading to the city.”
This critical situation drove the “opposition leaderships” abroad to address the armed men to head to al-Quseir, chiefly Raaed Abu Salah, who told “al-Qalamoun Rebels” and the FSA in the Northern countryside of Homs to head to al-Quseir.

Likewise, deputy chief of the so-called Syrian Coalition Opposition George Sabra addressed the armed insurgents to head to al-Quseir, stating, “All Battalions under the banner of the FSA must send fighters and weapons to al-Quseir immediately.”

In parallel, the Syrian opposition groups so far have not agreed on a unified delegation to represent them in the Geneva Conference which will take place from 12 to 15 June. The opposition groups never agreed on a unified delegation and were never even in contact on this note at all.
The reason: the Syrian Coalition and the SNC, mainly the Muslim Brotherhood, rejected the presence of representatives from the “internal opposition” represented by the “National Coordination Committee (NCC)”.

Moreover, the Muslim Brotherhood, encouraged by Turkey and Qatar, refuses to go to Geneva, demanding to represent 65% of the delegation. Saudi Arabia, however, pressured the US to weaken the Brotherhood’s power by banning it from representing the opposition’s delegation.
As the Conference due date becomes nearer, disagreements upsurge, with the absence of US pressure on the opposition. Also, US-Russian stances don’t seem to be in harmony, although they tentatively agree on the Geneva conference.
Furthermore, the Syrian opposition source stated, “The conference could be held with the present attendants, and if the Muslim Brotherhood didn’t attend, it won’t affect the rest from going to Geneva.”

“The Brotherhood refuses to attend by a unified delegation with the NCC while the US seeks to find a formulation to keep the NCC away and reduce the Brotherhood’s presence, which in turn constantly sends reassuring letters to the US on many files, mainly “Israel” and Syrian relations with the US, in case the Brotherhood reached office,” the source added.