In the last days in Aleppo, the jihadists received a substantial supply of Western weapons to counter the offensive of Syrian government forces. This allowed the militants to grow stronger in some areas, where there was heavy fighting. Pro-government forces, apparently for tactical reasons, retreated.
Government sources indicate that the Syrian army has blocked off the corridor in a southerly direction, which the jihadists have equipped last Saturday, the result of which is a link between the Eastern part of Aleppo under the control of the Islamists, and the outside world ceased to be reliable and can not be used because of the attacks of the government troops.
The newspaper Financial Times, citing sources in the ranks of the Islamists, says that the jihadists are getting a significant amount of new weapons, cash and other material assistance, which could not affect their morale and led to the recent transition to the offensive.
An eyewitness, quoted in the British newspaper, says “dozens of trucks loaded with weapons, including artillery. They sailed from Turkey towards Aleppo on the roads leading to that part of the city, which in 2012 controlled by the jihadists and the so-called moderate opposition.
The newspaper points out that the weapons and cash come from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other places, which, of course, is a direct reference to the United States. The Pentagon and the CIA in recent years has sent to Syria a large number of weapons, officially designed the “moderate opposition”, but in reality found themselves in the hands of jihadists in the first place, “Front EN-Nusra” associated with “al-Qaeda”. All this was done with the full knowledge and full approval of Washington.
Only a few days ago, the leader of al-Nusra Front, Abu Muhammad al Dzhulani publicly told the broadcaster al Jazeera that emerges from al-Qaida, and since then, his group will be called “front for the conquest of the Levant.”
This change in title which does not imply change in the political-religious orientation of this jihadist group, can be seen as an attempt to improve its reputation and to present to the West a new group as a “moderate” force. With a high degree of probability behind it all is Saudi Arabia and Qatar, acting with the approval of Washington.
As in the beginning of the conflict, Western weapons designed jihadists coming from Turkey. On Tuesday, Turkish President Erdogan met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and one of the topics covered was Syria, although everything indicates that Erdogan intends to continue to play the role of mediator between jihadists and their American and Arab allies.
The Financial Times quotes the words of one military analyst, who argues that the new group “al-Dzhulani” (Al Julani), namely “Front of the conquest of Syria and Lebanon, receives weapons from the “moderate” Arab countries, but also has the ability to exercise them in military training of its fighters. Among the jihadists supply of military equipment is quite sophisticated equipment, to cope with which can only specially trained people. At the disposal of the rebels, in particular, has TOW anti-tank missiles of American production and advanced artillery technique. And besides, they have tanks, captured from the Syrian army, and they often resort to less sophisticated, but very effective weapon: drivers-bombers. Various militant groups fighting in Aleppo, joined the coalition “Army of conquest” (Yaish al Fatah), almost all the members of which receive support from USA, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. According to some estimates in the “liberation Army” has about 40 thousand members stationed in various areas, including about one quarter in Aleppo.
Meanwhile, the Syrian army and its allies, mainly Hezbollah and Iranian troops, pulled in Aleppo, about 30 thousand people, although obviously they is not always as motivated as the jihadists, ready without hesitation to sacrifice their own lives in the name of God and Islam.
A new delivery of weapons to the rebels coincided with the opening of several corridors provided by the Syrian army and the Russian air force, in order that the civilian population could leave the Eastern sector of Aleppo, occupied by the rebels. However, these corridors could not use it. This Tuesday Russian and Syrian air force intensified bombing of jihadist positions to stop their advance. The effectiveness of these bombings will become apparent in the coming days. But the supply of weapons to rebels raised the question of how far willing to go the Americans and their allies in supporting terrorists. Yet they do not have anti-aircraft missiles, so the Russian fighters can act calm, but the situation changed dramatically, if Washington will supply the jihadists of the air defense system.
