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Source: Getty

In The Media
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Are Syrian Groups Turning Against the U.S.?

The U.S.-led air strikes threaten to alienate more moderate groups in Syria.

Link Copied
By Lina Khatib, Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Lawrence Korb
Published on Sep 30, 2014

Source: Al Jazeera Inside Story

In the early days of Syria’s civil war, opposition activists and fighters pleaded with the United States to strike the Syrian government. It has now been a week since a U.S..-led coalition began bombing Syria. But they are targeting the Islamic State, not Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

Many opposition groups now fear U.S. President Barack Obama is no longer committed to seeing President Bashar al-Assad leave power. And increasingly, armed groups in Syria view the air strikes as against their interests, with some Syrian rebels even vowing to fight Western nations. Will the continuing campaign against ISIL alienate fighters who were previously seeking U.S. backing?

This interview was originally broadcasted on Al Jazeera Inside Story.

About the Authors

Lina Khatib

Former Director, Middle East Center

Khatib was director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Previously, she was the co-founding head of the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi

Lawrence Korb

Authors

Lina Khatib
Former Director, Middle East Center
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Lawrence Korb
Political ReformSecurityForeign PolicyGulfLevantSyriaMiddle East

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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