►http://www.dw.de/syrian-opposition-driven-into-arms-of-islamists/a-16322351
Many forces are more secular in outlook. They have no great interest in religion. Even so, they have moved closer to the armed Islamic forces, as they receive support from foreign Islamic networks. This comes mainly from the Gulf region. It should be pointed out that these people are in a battle. They need weapons and ammunition. They receive the money for this from the Gulf states, especially through Islamist networks that are organized around the mosques. The money also comes from wealthy Syrian businessmen who live there. All of this shapes the identity of the armed opposition - and in a way that is sometimes highly opportunistic. Often the fighters are not very convinced of what they say in public. But in this way they are meeting their sponsors’ demands.
Overall, the development of the opposition was strongly influenced by the way the regime responded to the initial protests. This development gained a momentum of its own. But the more the opposition followed an Islamist course, the fewer people were willing to support it. However, we also observed an opposite development: In some places the Syrians faced such violent force from the regime that they supported anyone who fought against it.
The Syrians initially assumed that the international community would intervene at some point. They assumed that, in the end, it would not leave them to fend for themselves. In the event, too many signals came from the international community that encouraged armed opposition groups to escalate the situation. There were numerous indications of international support. But words were not followed by deeds
Russia, Iraq and Iran are pointing to the jihadist forces to justify their positions. Yet their positions go back to a time before these jihadists existed in Syria. But even in the West we tend to use these holy warriors to excuse our unwillingness to intervene. In this context, we then say Syria is a complicated case, the country lies in a highly unstable, sensitive region
Currently, mediation, dialogue and negotiation are impossible. The hatred is too great; too much blood has been shed