FSA Military Council Head Resigns, Slams Political, Military Opposition

President of the Military Council of the so-called ‘free Syrian army’ in the province of Aleppo resigned on Sunday from his post in protest against what he described an international community “conspiracy” against the Syrian people.

“Because of some people’s refusal to heed calls for unity. which led to the loss of fronts, supply routes and Sfeira city (east of Aleppo), I announce my resignation from the leadership of the Revolutionary Military Council in Aleppo,” Colonel Abdul-Jabbar Okaidi said in a video statement.

“The blessed revolution has torn off the last mask on the face of the international community”, which is “conspiring against this people and against this revolution,” he said.

Stating reasons for his resignation, Okaidi mentioned “the fragmentation of the political and military opposition which resulted in “the downturn on ground”.

Okaidi also lashed out at the exiled opposition “who represent no one but yourselves,” stressing they have turned their backs on Syria and have detached themselves from it completely,” he said.

In the video, which was shared widely online, Okaidi also criticized some rebel leaders on the ground, whom he referred to as “warlords”:
“Stop… racing each other for power and for your kingdoms… Go back to how you were” at the start of the revolt, he said.

On the other hand, he saluted what he described as “the Mujahideen rebels heroes” who “wrote the greatest epics of heroism and pride away from the showing off,” in an implicit belief that killing the Syrian people and sabotaging the whole country is a sign of heroism.

The strategic city of Sfeira has been seized by the FSA several months ago. It’s fall has given rise to fears for Aleppo city since Ministry of Defense factories, which produces defense weapons and all kinds of other goods, are located on its edges.

Sfeira’s fall means the road to Aleppo from the east is open.

Okaidi defected from the loyalist army in May 2012 to join the military opposition against Syrian government. He led Aleppo battle then the opposition military council of the province.

The Syrian national military launched a wide-scale military operation in May 2013 in the country’s main provinces to restore security and release citizens from terrorist threats.

Syria was hit by a violent unrest since mid-March 2011, where the Syrian government accuses foreign actors, mainly the Saudi Arabia and Turkey, of orchestrating the conflict by supporting the militant opposition groups with arms and money.