Are the opposition forces in Syria Al Qaeda?

Some of them are either Al Q’s or knock offs. Some aren’t.

But you can’t tell the players without a program and even they you might get it wrong.

Actually, we don’t need to take out Syria’s military, only Assad.

I think there are about 6–7 different factions in Syria, some of them blocing together but it may be a fluid thing. Post colonial countries have all been badly damaged.

Are we actually going after Assad, or just his military?

Just his military. We are only sending a message. Don’t know why they just don’t unfriend him on FB

Are you folks listening to how the amateurs in the White are trying to describe this. It has nothing to do with our national defense, getting rid of Assad, or shifting the balance in the civil war. It is something else entirely. And I don’t think even they know what it is.

Aren’t we funding Al Qaeda in Syria but fighting them elsewhere? I’m confused. We should just leave. Ya know?

I am so confused. I’ve been left with the impression this is a humanitarian deal, that the U.N. is backing. If it’s not a humanitarian deal, what reason would we have to strike them? They’re no threat to us. Are they?

What makes you think we’re funding Al Qaeda in Syria @DWW25921?

The rebel forces are not Al Qaeda, as in they are separate entities with separate leaderships and intentions.

I have heard, however, that Al Qaeda has been supportive of the rebel forces. They are trying to gain PR with the Syrian public. In a way, this is actually a reason to support the rebels. If the rebels win, and Al Qaeda supported them, then the new government will be an ally with Al Qaeda. If the rebels win, and the U.N. supported them, then the new government will align with the U.N. This reminds me of the time when Al Qaeda provided flood aid to Pakistan.

Jesus. Do we want the rebels to win or not @PhiNotPi?

@Dutchess_III They are a threat to the value of our currency which is valued in commodities, oil being the largest as oil is traded internationally with the American dollar and the Syrians want to use their own money which would devalue ours. Yes, we are funding Al Q… terrorists that we are now calling “rebels”. How the tides turn!

Assad is part of the ‘Axis of Evil’ so by definition anyone fighting him has to be good. That’s right isn’t it?

This is how we tell the good guys from the bad guys without a score card.

Consider El Salvador where we, the US, supported an oppressive military government who popularized the use of US trained “Death Squads”; they were fighting those leftist “Guerrillas” or “Extremists” or “Insurgents” while in Nicaragua, where a popular uprising had overthrown the oppressive Somoza military regime originally put in place by the US, we were against the government and supported the Contra “Rebels” or “Commandos” in their cause against the (again) leftist regime.

When the Syrian Rebels become Guerrillas then we have switched sides.

How did the Mujahideen become the Taliban? How did the jungle become the rain forest? What changed?

@flutherother “Assad is part of the ‘Axis of Evil’ so by definition anyone fighting him has to be good. That’s right isn’t it?”

Um… maybe? I think we need to redefine “good” in that case…

@rojo So basically, it’s as clear as mud. Yay. (sigh) We’re screwed…