Newsletter 2013/04/29 – In Rebel Territory (III)
DAMASCUS/BERLIN (Own report) – The German government is reinforcing
its insistence that state structures be rapidly established in the
rebel-controlled regions of Syria. The “moderate forces” of these
regions must be strengthened and the “reconstruction” advanced with
determination, the Foreign Ministry declared. This is particularly in
response to the growing influence of the fanatical Islamist militias,
such as Jabhat al Nusra, an alliance with ties to al Qaeda in Iraq.
The close ties to that neighboring country facilitate Jabhat al
Nusra’s control over a majority of Syria’s oil reserves, which, to a
large extent, are located near the border with Iraq. According to
reports, this fanatical Islamist militia is financing itself to a
growing extent through the exploitation of oil deposits, which other
militia groups of Syrian insurgents are now also trying to gain
control. The EU’s recent decision to lift the embargo on Syrian oil
from the non-Islamist, “moderate” insurgent groups is designed to
strengthen the standing of these factions in their opposition to
Jabhat al Nusra and similar alliances. However, this will further fuel
the civil war between the rebel groups.
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