London, Oct. 11 (ANI): The supply of arms and ammunitions to Syrian rebels is drying up, amidst growing political rivalries between the Arab and Gulf regions, and divisions between the west and Russia.
Over the past year, and especially since May, when weapons started to arrive, Bashar al-Assad's enemies have met their benefactors in Antakya's backstreets, coffee shops and hotel lobbies and made a case as to why they should receive help.
But now, on Aleppo's frontlines, there is still no sign of the heavy weapons for which the rebels have pleaded, and ammunition is running low.
"They are giving us enough to keep this fight going, but not enough to win it. I'm sure that's not going to change until after the American elections. I'm not sure everyone can survive until then," The Guardian quoted Abu Furat, a commander among the Syrian rebels, as saying.
According to the paper, the US is opposed to calls by Saudi Arabia and Qatar to supply rebel groups with equipment needed to combat aircraft and tanks, an issue raised by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, which is being supported by Jordan and Turkey.
"It's about indirect intervention. The money is there, arms can be supplied. But the Jordanians and the Turks are hesitant. Turkey is allowing some weapons in but there are a lot of restrictions. People are waiting for a shift after the US election," said Mustafa Alani of the Saudi-financed Gulf Research Centre in Abu Dhabi.
Another growing problem is a lack of co-ordination between Qatar and the Saudis. According to Syrian opposition activists, the Saudis now sponsor only rebel groups, which are at odds with those backed by Qatar and Turkey, which are often linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
"The Qataris are much more proactive than the Saudis. The Saudis are not interested in democracy, they just want to be rid of Bashar. They would be happy with a Yemeni solution that gets rid of the president and leaves the regime intact," said one well-placed Arab source. (ANI)
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