The moderate head of the largest Syrian rebel group, Zahran Alloush, 44, has been killed in an airstrike thus leaving his group in turmoil and President Assad in a great position of power over the area.
Alloush had been a major thorn in the side of the Syrian government as well as Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS. He led the largest of forces and had been opposed to militant islam in favor of a more moderate approach.
The area he controlled was the eastern suburb of Damascus known as Al Ghouta. This killing just may be the break President Assad needs to consolidate power over the city and area. The strike is credited to the Russian air bombings that Russia says is stargeted toward ISIS, not the rebel forces, but the result as is seen is the death of the one man who had kept them all at bay. One source stated that the new leader of the rebels will be Abu Hammam al Buwaidani. Whether he’ll be able to maintain power is questionable considering the firepower that can be delivered by the Russians and his being in the crosshairs of everyone in the region.
Foreign intelligence will be hard put to figure out what will happen next. The disarray caused by this bombing has yet to be fully realized and the various factions challenging one another for control may take months to reassert themselves if Russia doesn’t blow them all up in the meantime.
Whether Russia was after him or not, that will have to be discerned after sifting through the political rubble. If it’s found out that Russia did indeed target him for death, Russia has been misleading the allied forces and has in effect handed a victor to the Assad government which critics have stated Russia had been doing all along.
With pressure on the various world governments to put an end to terrorism, what is going on in Syria has been dragging on for years. News has continued to come to light that outside players, including the US and Saudi Arabia had been funding sides in the internal conflicts of the country which gave rise to ISIS/ISIL and various other splinter terrorists groups that are difficult to put under wraps.
Several top ISIS/ISIL leaders have been killed by drone strikes by the US and the terrorists have retaliated, especially in France where a nightmarish attack occurred not too long ago and another occurred in San Bernardino, California. As each leader gets terminated, another rises to fill his place. It seems like a never ending challenge but at some point the effects have to wear down the rebels and terrorists.
Do you think Russia targeted this man for execution or was it just a mistake? Add your comments below.
