Syria Deeply: Breakthrough at the U.N.

, Breakdown on the Ground

9/29/13 8:41 PM

This Week in Syria, Deeply

Dear Deeply Readers, Breaking a two and a half year deadlock, the U.N. Security Council unanimously backed a Syria resolution governing the handover and disposal of Syrias chemical weapons.U.S. President Barack Obama called it a potentially huge victory, while some of his critics saw it as a toothless concession to Russia the resolution does not set an automatic trigger to punish the Assad regime, if it falters in its obligations. The Economist laid out a thorough analysis of whats in the resolution, and whats missing from it: notably, any blame for the August 21 chemical weapons attack on eastern Ghouta, which raised the prospect of a U.S. military strike. The U.N. move did endorse a political transition in Syria, first proposed at the Geneva Peace Talks in June 2012 (see the U.N. communique here). U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that major powers hoped to hold a follow-up peace conference known as Geneva II in mid-November, according to Reuters. Both the Assad regime and the opposition have suggested they would go. One snag, among others, is the breakdown of any rebel cohesion on the ground. Syrias armed opposition, the decentralized forces that are fighting Assads army, have never formed a unified front. But in the past few weeks theyve become even more dangerously splintered. Weve seen moderate brigades joining Jabhat al-Nusra, out of a perceived need for protection from other al-Qaida-linked groups, an escalating fight between Islamists and Kurds, and a wholesale rejection of the oppositions political leadership abroad. Eleven Islamist rebel groups came together to denounce the Syrian National Coalition, the U.S.-backed body that represented the anti-Assad camp. "The National Coalition and its transitional government led by Ahmed Tomeh do not represent it and will not be recognized," they said in a joint statement quoted by the BBC. Instead they insisted that the opposition should unite under an Islamic framework. That makes it harder to negotiate a lasting peace or any kind of effective cease-fire in Syria, without including the rebel groups that the U.S. and its allies find least palatable. Highlights from Syria Deeply:

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Syria Deeply: Breakthrough at the U.N., Breakdown on the Ground

9/29/13 8:41 PM

Three Things We Learned About Jihadi Rebels From Syria Conflict Monitor In a Damascus Classroom, Reading, Writing and Trauma Exploding Bullets Target FSA Fighters U.N. Roundup: Syrias Neighbors Speak Up In Besieged Homs, Doctors Work in an Underground Hospital A Syrian Backlash Against al-Qaida Trouble in Turkey, as al-Qaida Becomes a Neighbor From Saraqeb, the Sound of a Radio Start-up We featured a range of stories on our Syria Deeply podcast. And as always, to help you review, heres our day-to-day roundup of Syria headlines last week: Monday: U.N. General Assembly in Full Swing, Syria and Iran Dominate Agenda; Syria Slams U.S. Resolution; Al Qaeda Commander Killed Tuesday: Russia Sees Security Council Resolution This Week; CW Inspectors to Return to Syria; Hezbollah Dismisses CW Claim Wednesday: UN Inspectors Return to Syria; Jihadi Rebels Reject Opposition, Call for Islamic Leadership; Blast Hits Damascus Thursday: West Says U.N. Nears Syria Resolution;Al-Qaeda, Kurds Clash on TurkeySyria Border;Key Rebel Groups Abandon Exile Leaders Friday: U.N. Security Council Reaches Syria Resolution; Inspections to Begin Next Week; Rebels and al Qaeda-Linked Fighters Battle Kurds Reads from the Week: Reuters: Rebels Struggle to Rally Backing on U.N. Stage AFP: Syria Chemical Cleanup the Biggest Ever Staged Spiegel: Syrias Disneyland for Jihadists LA Times: To Protect Syrias Antiquities, Dont Buy Them Al Jazeera: Cruel Exile for Syrias Palestinians DW/Opinion: Syria Resolution Shows Wests Weakness We hope our work has helped to better engage and inform you on a critical issue. Were fielding your feedback on how to better serve you and the story, via email at info@syriadeeply.org Sincerely,

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Syria Deeply: Breakthrough at the U.N., Breakdown on the Ground

9/29/13 8:41 PM

The News Deeply Team

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