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Sunday 15 June 2014 - 09:07

ISIL terrorists losing in Syria

Story Code : 392176
ISIL terrorists losing in Syria
Q: First of all, what is the main reason that these insurgents are fighting with each other?  
 
Jatras: I think we have a couple of things going on together. One is the struggle for power among groups within Syria and also now that this has become an internationalized war where the Syrian civil war has now spilled over to Iraq. It’s become a complete free-for-all with the survival of most ruthless really on the line now. 
 
Q: If there is a conflict between these insurgents, there must be a conflict between the states sponsoring each of these terrorist groups, you know that each terrorist group is sponsored by a different state. Just how apparent is this conflict going to be?  
 
Jatras: It’s unclear especially since the sponsorship doesn’t always remain constant. As we know the Turks, the Saudis, the Qataris have switched around in their attitudes toward various groups, sometimes supporting them, sometimes denouncing them as terrorists.
 
For example, take the Turkish relationship to al-Nusra, on the one hand they support, on the other hand they denounce them as terrorists. It’s unclear where and it’s not going to get any clearer. It gets worse. 
 
Q: We know that the ISIL is in Iraq at the moment, causing chaos there. How serious and different is the situation in Iraq? Will the ISIL fail in Iraq as they are failing in Syria? 
 
Jatras: I think they are going to have a tough time taking control of the majority Shia areas. We have seen that Ayatollah al-Sistani has called upon the Shia men to defend their homes, defend their families.
 
I think it’s very probable that Iran might take some direct action and we have actually the bizarre situation where the United Stated may act in essence as Iran’s air force to defend Baghdad government at the same time that were supporting the Sunni terrorists in Syria. It absolutely makes no sense.
 
Q: Will the impact of ISIL in Syria reduce because of the flow of their forces into Iraq?
 
Jatras: I don’t think so because perhaps the most effective thing they can do strategically since they are losing in Syria is to attempt to cut off the source of the support for the Assad government by blocking their access to Iran through Iraq. So, even strategically in Syria this might make some sense for them.
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