By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:
Tuesday was one of those very bad days in Syria. It was a day that was extremely illustrative of what is happening on the ground and how complicated things are for Syrians.
Reading Western press coverage one get the impression that there are good guys and bad guys in Syria. Assad is bad - and he is. The rebels who oppose him are good - but they are not. There are no proverbial white hats and black hats in Syria. In Syria, they all wear black hats - or kafiyahs, if you will.
On Tuesday rebels kidnapped 21 UN international observers. They are holding them as ransom. The demands have yet to be made. This was not a mistaken kidnapping, it was a well planned and well executed operation.
On the same day, Tuesday, Assad's air force bombed the cities of Homs and Raqqa killing dozens of rebels and others and wounding countless numbers of Syrians.
What we learn from this sliver of conflict is that both sides in Syria do really evil things. Unfortunately, seldom are the rebels ever analyzed, no less covered in the media and if they are, it is only when they strike at Assad forces. Public decapitations - and there are many, are seldom ever reported.
Bashar Assad is a murderous thug ... but do not think that the alternative to Assad is any less cruel and ruthless. Mainstream, opposition rebels in Syria are, if not full blown al Qaeda operatives, at least affiliated with and in sync with al Qaeda.
The West must think hard before offering help in Syria.
Micah@MicahHalpern.com
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