Syria Rebel Commanders Reject Leadership Shake-up

The AP reports that Syria’s opposition has further fragmented following the removal of Gen. Salim Idris as head of the Supreme Military Council.

“The former leader of the Western-backed Syrian opposition’s military wing on Wednesday rejected his recent dismissal, and along with more than a dozen senior insurgent commanders severed ties with the political opposition-in-exile, further fragmenting the notoriously divided rebel movement,” the wire says.

“The statement from Idris comes two days after the opposition Syrian National Coalition announced that Idris had been sacked as head of the Supreme Military Council and replaced by Brig. Gen. Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir – an experienced, moderate field commander from southern Syria. The move was widely seen as an attempt to restructure the military council and to persuade Western allies to boost their support for mainstream rebels trying to oust President Bashar Assad.

“Moderate opposition fighters have been eclipsed over the past year by ultraconservative Islamic groups and extremist factions that have emerged as the most powerful brigades on the rebel side. But the move also holds the potential to further fracture rebel ranks and sap what little strength the military council currently has.”

U.N. Resolution on Syria Aid Faces Vote This Week

From the U.N., the AP also reports that Western and Arab nations who support a Security Council resolution calling for immediate access to deliver humanitarian aid across Syria have called for a vote, though Assad ally Russia is said to be “opposed to key provisions, including a pledge of ‘further steps’ for noncompliance.

“Supporters late Wednesday said the resolution had been put in its final form, with a vote likely on Friday. It is unclear whether Moscow will veto the resolution or abstain in the vote,” it says.

The draft “incorporates some suggestions from Russia – particularly on combatting terrorism – but it maintains key elements which Western and Arab nations insist are essential to make a difference on the ground.

“It asks Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to report to the Security Council on the implementation of the resolution every 30 days and expresses the council’s intent ‘to take further steps in the case of non-compliance with this resolution.’” It also calls on all parties involved “to immediately lift the sieges of populated areas” and asks “that all parties allow the delivery of humanitarian aid, cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival, and enable the rapid, safe and unhindered evacuation of all civilians who wish to leave.”

Lebanon Dances Into Abyss as Conflict Crosses Border

In the wake of another bombing in Beirut’s southern suburbs – this one aimed at Iranian targets – Kim Ghattas of the BBC reports on the turmoil engulfing Lebanon as the Syrian conflict continues to seep over the border.

“The pictures of Hezbollah’s martyrs hang from the lampposts and balcony railings. They are plastered on walls and car windshields. The men died not fighting Israel – Hezbollah’s arch enemy – but supporting the forces of its ally President Bashar al-Assad, across the border in Syria,” she writes from Beirut.

“The southern suburbs of Beirut, a predominantly Shia area, are Hezbollah’s support base. The area is often referred to as a ‘stronghold’ of the radical Shia Islamist militant group. The term conjures up images of dark alleys and military installations, devoid of civilian life.

“But it is more of a middle-class suburb, bustling with traffic, cafes and shops, with expensive cars parked outside buildings. Women clad in black veils or in tight jeans and bands of teenagers walk around. But Hezbollah is feeling nervous about security these days, and they are in charge here. Gun-toting men in black are manning checkpoints at every entrance to the area.”

Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team:

Reuters: Islamists Order Women to Don Veil in Eastern Syria

Guardian: Female Refugees from Syria ‘Blighted by Gynaecological Illness and Stress’

WSJ: Saudi Arabia Replaces Key Official in Effort to Arm Syria Rebels

AP: UN Aid Workers Deliver Food to Damascus District

Deutsche Welle: Women Join the Kurdish Fight in Syria

AFP: Syria Press Accuses Jordan of Stirring Revolt in South

Daily Beast: A New Chemical Attack in Syria?