Thread by @EHSANI22

In order to truly understand the dynamic inside the #Syrian Armed Opposition, one must start to look into the ever closer marriage between the the Moslem Brotherhood and Nusra / al-Qaeda. Both have been joined at the hip through the sponsorship & support of #Qatar #Turkey ==>

2-Moslem Brotherhood (MB) lost its original military wing during the battle with the Syrian State in the 80’s. Best to think of Nusra/HTS/al-Qaeda in #Syria today as the new military wing of the M Brotherhood. One is the brain, the other represents arms & legs of the same body

3-The coordination between MB & Nusra/HTS/al-Qaeda has afforded the latter the chance to transform itself from non-state actor that had been hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan to an outfit with clear lines of communications to regional capitals that are supporting the MB

4-As one reads through Opposition accounts, it’s clear that #Saudi /#Qatar schism has had its effects on the landscape in #Syria . Jeish al-Islam which moved to Idlib from Ghouta from example is now fighting against dominance of MB/Nusra/HTS/al-Qaeda

5-Supporters of Jeish al Islam & their Sharia Sheikh (Samir Kaake) for example are seen here attacking media star Mousa al Omar for working with MB/Nusra/HTS/al-Qaeda & accusing him@of buying new home in #London for > 1 Million

6-For their part, so-called non al-Qaeda groups led by sheikhs like Samir Kaake of Douma are keeping themselves busy holding seminars to teach the reciting & memorizing of the Quran in places like al-Bab in northern #Aleppo

7-What is stunning about the current landscape in #Syria is how Western capitals are now crafting their policies on the notion that so long as one is not ISIS/al-Qaeda, one must consider all other remaining groups as legitimate/acceptable/kosher to do business with

8-Truth is that over the last 7 years, all and every armed group experienced constantly shifting alliances and partnerships. Jeish-Islam that once partnered with Nusra in Ghouta now fights against them over resources and money. Same goes for zangi and almost all others

9-Only the Syrian State knew from day one that it was fighting a single Umbrella with constantly moving parts underneath it. Every single group was after the same thing - Topple the State & become the new rulers of #Syria and start governing the country through true words of God

10-When the final history of the Syrian war will be written, it may well become obvious to all how the Moslem Brotherhood, that had been in a self-induced coma since the 1980’s saw its historic chance to wake up from the dead as the events in #Tunisia unfolded

11-Ever since early days of Daraa, Moslem Brotherhood (term is meant to broadly describe ideology that unites various groups & individuals) was going to do all & everything it can to wrest power from what they considered as Baathists/heretics/Alawis/Iran-supporting/non-believers

12-Of course there was non-Islamist resistance to Damascus that aspired for more democracy, human rights, political participation & less corruption. No doubt also that the State had long resisted such calls. Whether self-serving or not, Damascus knew this group had no chance v MB

13-The Idea that the day after the toppling of Assad & the State, “Syrians for more freedom & democracy” would somehow defeat and climb ahead of the “Syrian for ruling through Sharia & the words of God” is both not credible and perhaps even outright foolish. Why? ==>

14-Say what you want about them but MB/Nusra/HTS/al-Qaeda/Ahrar/Zangi/Jeish-Islam & others have sacrificed their blood. They own the guns. They have monopoly over interpreting the holy book. And what do the other Syrians have to offer? Secularism, freedom & democracy?

Really?

15-Think Tankers, #Syria Observers & Policy Makers (sorry here I go again), have been caught in typical case of group-think, wishful thinking & fear of losing their jobs if they dared go off script. They all wanted to believe that Syrians for freedom & democracy may/will prevail

16-Those who dared think differently than charted course have been branded Assadists

Here is a new definition of an Assadist:

Those who think that there has been near zero thought put into “The Day After” the toppling of the Syrian State. Think #Tutsis #Hutus Not #Milk #Honey