STORY SUMMARY

The Syrian border is just a few miles north of the processing station for refugees in Rabah al-Sarhan. Syrian rebel commanders had invited me to travel with them inside their country through a crossing point near there, but the Jordanian government emphatically said no. So this account is based on interviews with Syrians I met in Jordan or talked with inside Syria by phone.

Al-Qaeda extremists fester in the shadows. The opposition remains so fragmented that some rebels frankly admit they aren’t ready to govern, even if Assad should fall.

Second, Muslim extremists are gaining a foothold in the south, just as they did two years ago in northern Syria.

Such a force could hold off Assad and protect rebel-held areas.

Second, negotiate with Assad to create a successor regime. Some in Jordan and Washington argue that for the sake of stability, the friends of Syria should open back-channel contacts with Assad.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2014/May-05/255180-syrias-rebels-admit-they-are-unable-to-govern.ashx#ixzz310ZFs8Fv
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)