Kurdish Youth Movement Members Released by ISIS (?)
Kurdish Youth Movement members released by Islamist groups close to Afrin. There are still many Kurds in ISIS prisons.
Posted by Wladimir van Wilgenburg
Zooming in on Syria: Adapting US Policy to Local Realities By Faysal Itani & Nathaniel Rosenblatt / ATLANTIC COUNCIL
The key to ending the crisis in Syria is a better understanding of local players and power dynamics. By viewing the conflict through a local prism, the United States and its Western allies can help build a coherent, capable, and legitimate opposition, which is an essential ingredient for any political transition or even negotiations.
MESOP SYRIA INSIGHT : The most powerful rebel alliance in Syria — the Islamic Front — is on the verge of collapse /Foreign Policy
BY Hassan Hassan – MARCH 4, 2014 – FOREIGN POLICY – Two developments took place in the past month that point to remarkable changes within Syria’s Islamist landscape. In early February, al Qaeda’s central leadership disavowed the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) — a favor ISIS repaid a few weeks later, when it launched a suicide attack that killed al Qaeda’s representative in the country, Abu Khalid al-Suri.
Al-Tamimi: ISIS claiming control in Yarmouk ‘publicity stunt’ / CLICK FOR PICTURES
5.3.2014 – Fighting broke out Sunday after al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat a-Nusra declared that it was re-entering the camp after having withdrawn as part of the ceasefire agreement, charging that the government had “failed to abide by even one of the ceasefire’s conditions.” On Tuesday, the Islamic State in Iraq and a-Sham (ISIS), an al-Qaeda splinter group, claimed to have taken control of parts of Yarmouk, with ISIS supporters circulating a hashtag on Twitter declaring “ISIS liberates Yarmouk camp” and posting triumphant photos of ISIS in the camp. At least one analyst suggests, however, that despite the pageantry, ISIS’s influence in Yarmouk remains limited, as is the case throughout Damascus and Outer Damascus.
MESOP TODAY’S SYRIA INSIGHT (2) : ASSAD ATTACKS LEBANON AGAINST U.N. CONVENTIONS
Syrian government helicopters reportedly launched three air raids on Lebanese territory close to the border town of Arsal. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the strikes hit Khirbet Yunin and Wadi Ajram, however it was unclear if there were any casualties. Meanwhile, U.N. human rights investigators released a report Wednesday saying that all parties in Syria’s war are using shelling and siege tactics to punish civilians, and that world powers are responsible for failing to prevent war crimes. Additionally, investigators confirmed that sarin gas was used in three chemical weapons attacks in March, April, and August 2013 and that the agents likely came from the chemical weapons stockpile of the Syrian military.
TODAY’S MESOP SYRIA INSIGHT (I) : Israel Fires on Militants on Syrian Border Meanwhile Seizes Iranian Arms Vessel
The Israeli military said its forces shot two militants as they were attempting to plant a bomb near the fence between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syrian territory on Wednesday. According to an army spokeswoman, Israeli intelligence had identified the men as members of Hezbollah. Lebanese military sources said the suspected Hezbollah fighters were wounded, and that they believe there could be clashes between Hezbollah and Israel in the coming days. Last week, Hezbollah accused Israel of carrying out an air strike hitting one of its bases along the Syrian-Lebanese border, and threatened to retaliate. Israel, however, did not confirm the attack. Meanwhile, Israeli naval forces said they intercepted a ship carrying Iranian arms manufactured in Syria. According to the army, the ship was sailing to Sudan, and the weapons were to be moved overland through Egypt to Gaza.
MESOP Top News – Chemical weapons used in Syria appear to come from army stockpile: U.N.
5 Mar 05 06:36 – GENEVA (Reuters) – Chemical weapons used in two incidents in Syria last year appear to come from the stockpiles of the Syrian military, United Nations human rights investigators said on Wednesday in a report that went beyond previous findings. The team of independent experts, led by Brazilian Paulo Pinheiro, said that chemical agents used in the Damascus suburb of al-Ghouta on August 21 and in Khan al-Assal near Aleppo in March 2013 bore “the same unique hallmarks”.
ROBERT FORD – Syrian Kurds can’t count on US support
By Ariel Zirulnick – CS Monitor – 5.3.2014 – Syria’s ‘third force’ Kurds may emerge stronger from conflict. Syrian Kurds are attempting to assert greater autonomy from the chaos, but former ambassador to Syria Robert Ford says that the US would not back their bid, unlike in Iraq in the 1990s. There’s a third party to Syria’s civil conflict, and it may be the only one to emerge somewhat victorious from the war.
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