A senior figure of the rebel Free Syrian Army has been executed by Al-Qaeda-linked militants during negotiations. Multiplying conflicts between moderate and extremist rebels confronting President Assad might lead to an opposition split-up. Supreme Military Council member Kamal Hamami, also known for his call-sign Abu Bassel al-Ladkani, was meeting with members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the Syrian port city of Latakia when he was murdered, FSA spokesman Qassem Saadeddine informed Reuters. “The Islamic State phoned me saying that they killed Abu Bassel and that they will kill all of the Supreme Military Council,” Saadeddine said. “He met them to discuss battle plans.” (…) “Nusra is now two Nusras. One that is pursuing Al-Qaeda’s agenda of a greater Islamic nation, and another that is Syrian with a national agenda to help us fight Assad,” a senior rebel commander with close ties to the Al-Nusra Front told Reuters. “It is disintegrating from within,” he added.
This is all excellent news, of course. First, this clearly indicates that the Wahabi crazies have gone even “crazier”: if they are shooting people during negotiations it is unlikely that they will have many people willing to negotiate with them. Second, if they really plan to kill all of the Supreme Military Council this will force the latter to take action, if only to protect itself. Third, if al-Nusra has really split into two factions, that means that the single most effective combat force on the side of the insurgency is disintegrating. Forth, these developments suggest that Western intelligence services are loosing control of the insurgency as they would never allow them to start killing each other. Finally, and most importantly, this kind of development is a very strong indicator that the insurgency has major problems and that, in turn, shows that the much talked-about program to arm the insurgency is petering out like a wet firecracker.
Truly, this is excellent news. Hopefully, the Wahabi crazies will continue killing each other while the FSA bonzes will return where they belong: to Virgina, USA.
The Saker
