Last stand in Homs

[cqo_000]

Source: AP

Weakened Syrian rebels are making their last desperate stand in Homs, as forces loyal to President Bashar Assad launch their harshest assault yet to expel them from the central city, once known as the capital of the revolution.

''We expect Homs to fall,'' said an activist who uses the name Thaer Khalidiya in an online interview with The Associated Press. ''In the next few days, it could be under the regime's control.''

The fight for Homs underscores Assad's determination to rout rebels ahead of presidential elections now set for June 3, aiming to scatter fighters back further north toward their supply lines on the Turkish borders.

The rebels remaining in the city are predominantly from the Nusra Front, an al-Qaida affiliate, and other Islamist factions.

Read more: http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/9967016/Last-stand-in-Homs

[cosmicone]

1. Very good.

The world doesn't want fundamentalist terrorists.

[Javaman]

2. not a fan of assad, not a fan of extremest rebel groups...

either way, that county is fucked for a long time.

[AngryAmish]

7. I can't pick a winner in that one

I am so glad we kept ourselves out of that mess.

But hell is coming to Homs. THis was a genocidal war.

[quadrature]

3. suggestion..starve then out.....nt

[nilesobek]

4. Al Queada is getting the treatment they deserve.

Let this be a message to Saudi supporters and their friends. Assad has held the center despite America, Israel and Saudi Arabia recruiting our own enemies to fight a proxy war.

[SkyDaddy7]

5. I don't think you understand...

The Saudis, the only one of the countries you mentioned who have supported the Al Qaeda associated groups, has already got plenty of return on their investment into the rebel groups in Syria...The Assad regime has been greatly weakened & they still have not beat the rebels. Plus, this has caused Iran problems as well which is what the Saudis want. Saudis are getting exactly what they wanted & if Assad happens to fall then all the better in terms of how the Saudis see things. Israel has probably not been as active as you seem to think or want & the USA has been so cautious as to not do anything that would help the Al Qaeda groups to the harm of the FSA...The USA is preparing to do more but we will see.

[cqo_000]

6. It's unlikely the US will be doing more

The so-called "moderate" rebels have shared weapons with the extremists and they will do it again if the US starts arming "moderates".

"Saudi Arabia purchased Croatian antitank weapons and grenade launchers that were then provided to the “moderate” Free Syrian Army. As documented with video evidence by the Brown Moses Blog, some of those weapons wound up in the hands of the extremist jihadi group Ahrar al-Sham, and McClatchy Newspapers confirmed that the FSA shared their new weapons with Ahrar al-Sham. "

http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/obama-approval-manpads-rebels-violate-us-agreements-policy-endanger-airliners-james-mcmichael/

I think the US wants to try and keep its fingerprints off military operations. But it has become fairly obvious at this stage that weapons have been provided by the Saudis with Washington's acquiescence.

[nilesobek]

8. Thank you for explaining it.

It doesn't bother you that the US has picked the side of its enemy? Turkey seems pretty involved.

On edit. Maybe I'm just naive to think we wouldn't make deals with current/former enemies.

[ausboy]

9. thankyou

I'm just glad to know the American public recognise who the real terrorists are despite what the media and the administration try to say. Assad protected minorities. The jihadist opposition wants us dead. The preferred Victor in the eyes of most Syrians is so clear that it's a joke to assume otherwise.

A Syrian.

[nilesobek]

10. The Christian and Islamic minority factions

have been slaughtered and removed everywhere Al Queda gets a foothold. So when my country, my government, thru proxy, decides to ally with them I have to oppose it.