BuzzFeed: Russia recruits US allies in the ranks of the Syrian opposition

Russia is trying to pull the representatives of the Syrian opposition supported by the United States to its side, says Buzzfeed .

One of the rebels, whose name is not called, said that he was offered to go over to the side of the Russian Federation. Some time ago, he received cash and weapons from the Central Intelligence Directorate (CIA) as part of the opposition group support program fighting in Syria both against the militants of the Islamic State terrorist group (IG, Daish , prohibited in the Russian Federation), and against the government of the country's president Bashar al-Assad.

However, in the end, his battalion was supplanted by jihadists from Syria. The rebels begged the United States to strengthen support, but there were no cardinal measures. Recently, the commander said, he received an offer to work for the main competitor of the United States in Syria - Russia. Moreover, the Russian side assured him that in any case would not abandon the rebels, as they were done by "old friends".

According to the commander, now Russia is recruiting to its side of the current and former US allies. His words were confirmed by four more people who also said that representatives of Russia and two Syrian intermediaries have addressed them about cooperation.

As stated in the article, Russia deepens its participation in the Syrian conflict. Although the Russian authorities assure that the purpose of the military campaign is the destruction of the IG, in reality Moscow is aimed at the opposition, including those groups that still support the United States.

According to some sources, Russia not only bombing the positions of the current and former US allies among the moderate Syrian opposition, but also holds a secret campaign aimed at emphasizing the weakness of the United States in Syria. As analysts suggest, perhaps Russia hopes to help Assad win the war by arranging a split in the ranks of the opposition and driving a wedge between rebel groups and their patrons.

Russia offers support to the leadership of opposition groups, including money and weapons, in exchange for a promise to fight against the IS and the Jebhat al-Nusra group (prohibited in the Russian Federation). And after the end of hostilities and victory over extremists, the rebels promised to participate in negotiations with the government and the decision of the fate of Asad.

Such a plan can be considered ideal for Russia in Syria - on the one hand, it leads to maintaining the influence of Moscow in the country, on the other hand, it helps Assad’s regime to win. Another goal of the program is to wound the United States and prevent Washington from putting a thesis of Assad resigned as a mandatory condition to start concluding a peace treaty.

According to the BuzzFeed source, Russian intelligence is well aware of all opposition groups fighting IS and ASAD, which dealt with the United States and did not receive sufficient support from them. One of the rebel leaders said that he also received an offer from Russia about cooperation and went to Egypt to discuss the topic. However, he rejected the proposal of Moscow, as he calculated the transition to the side of the Russian Federation by the betrayal of the revolution and the Syrian people.

Thus, from the article it follows that the tactics of Russia are aimed at obtaining even greater influence in Syria and suppressing the United States from this field. According to the former US ambassador to Syria, who held this post in 2011-2014, Robert Ford, Americans could return their influence in the region if they increased the supply of weapons of the Syrian opposition and called on Turkey and Saudi Arabia to join the process.

However, according to the diplomat, the United States does not have such plans. At the same time, Russia's tactics may not bear fruit, since in Syria a large number of opposition groups are currently in Syria and agree with them is a difficult task.

Some believe that the Obama administration is only glad that it can shift responsibility to Moscow for the development of the situation in Syria. Frederick Hof, who previously held the post of special adviser to Barack Obama on the problems of the transition period in Syria, warns that the Russians use terrorists as an excuse for the bombing of the positions of the groups of objectionable groups and are not illuminated by war crimes.

Some rebels related to the United States confirmed that Russian representatives also addressed them, but admitted that they rejected the proposal. As for the commander, with whom the journalist BuzzFeed communicated, he said that he had already met with the Syrian intermediary first in Turkey, and then in Syria, and he promised him defense from Russia, and also, in anticipation of the decision, handed him 100 thousand dollars.

According to the military leader, he still fluctuates: on the one hand, cooperation with Russia will mean a deviation from the principles of combating the regime, on the other hand, the efforts of Moscow, ultimately, lead to the cessation of bloodshed in the country.