The Isis has a very diverse staff consists of former military personnel and specialists coming from extreme Islamist Middle East Asia and Europe, as well as their acceded to the Caliphate, even non-experts who recruited through the known channels, pseudo-religious, after a brief training (three to six months depending on your needs) are placed in the ranks of the rebels; make an exact estimate of the number of members is currently impossible, however, we can assume a number that fluctuates between 28,000 and 40,000 men.
It seems like the balance of forces in Syria has hardly changed since the beginning of the civil war in 2011: apparently, neither the loyalists nor the rebel forces have the capability of overpowering one another.
Now, abandoning any kind of rhetoric, it is clear that, in terms of international security, a stuck conflict is far preferable rather than having one of the two parties victorious. Although it may appear to be an out-of-place statement, imagining the possible alternative scenario would be enough to see how truthful it is.
(Oggi, 3 Giugno 2014, la Siria è pronta per le prime elezioni presidenziali a più candidati della sua storia, denunciate dall’opposizione come farsa. La sfida è a tre, Bashar al Assad, Maher al Hajjar e Hassan al Nouri)
It has been always quite clear that destroying Syrian chemical weapons would have been a difficult mission, but the current situation it's more complicated than expected. The first great problem burst out in December when OPCW was looking for a way to destroy Assad's chemical armoury and no State nor private organization volunteered. Because of that and due to a short amount of available time, OPCW board was forced to solve the “crisis” going with a earlier set aside-option : destroying the chemical material in international waters in more than one step. The second huge problem revealed itself at the end of 2013 and it messed up OPCW schedule: according to their plan, the most dangerous part of Syrian chemical armoury should have been removed from Syrian territory by 31 December but they failed because of bad weather condition and because of the never-ending clashes between Assad's troops and the rebel groups within the ongoing civil war. Now everything it's on move again but the premises aren't really bright.
In Syria, Assad’s chemical armoury dismantling process has not suffered from any hitches so far. The first stage ended successfully on last 21 September when the regime delivered its chemical accoutrements inventory to the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons). The second phase, related to the armoury check, to its destruction and deactivation, it’s now in its key stage; but a huge question mark has risen up. OPCW announced that chemical weapons production gears have been destroyed and that the whole armoury – that, according to OPCW spokesman Christian Chartier, amounts to 1000 chemical agents tons and 290 tons of already developed chemical weapons – has been sealed. But where this armoury is going to be destroyed is not clear at all.
In late September, the 15 United Nation Security Council Members approved a resolution that impose the destruction of all chemical weapons in possession of the Syrian regime by the first half of 2014. It's an important news related to the civil war, a two years and more ongoing conflict. Nevertheless, overestimating it's value would be quite a mistake.
The words of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is our cue to try to understand the issues that animate the sectarian nature of politics, but not only, Middle Eastern.
King Abdullah , referring to Iran , according to data from WikiLeaks , expressed himself in these terms: " God prevent us from falling victim to their evil" and added that Washington should " cut off the head of the snake".
«On the basis of the evidence obtained during our investigation […] the conclusion is that, on 21 August 2013, chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic, also against civilian, including children […] The environmental, chemical and medical samples we have collected provide clear and convincing evidence that surface-to-surface rockets containing the nerve agent Sarin were used». These are UN’s inspectors’ conclusions contained in an expected 41 pages-report on August slaughter in Damascus.
With just the threat of military action, America was able to push the apparently immobile political situation in Syria towards a decisive stage.
The Russian axis adopted a strategy that aimed to deprive the US from any legitimate reasons to launch an attack against Syria.
“A Martian Odyssey”: that’s how Stanley Weinbaum entitled one science fiction novel of his in 1994. Same words are oddly suitable in presenting Domenico Quirico’s story.
He disappeared on 9 April in Syria and he returned home on 9 September, finally free again. Quirico has forcedly spent five months into Syrian arid lands, through what he has himself defined as «a sort of an Odyssey» through a prison term experienced within «bombs, breaks and humiliation». He felt it was just like living on the Red Planet: «as though I’ve lived on Mars for five months. And I discovered that Martians are evil […] In detention? They did not treat me properly». Those were Quirico’s first words, words that have been spoken as soon as he landed in Italy.
