If you are among the many who are trying to make sense of the tense situation in Syria and what the Obama Administration may – or should – do, you will want to read the analysis and comments from Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely (US Army Ret.) in the following examiner.com article and listen to the attached interview with Steve Malzberg of Newsmax TV.
Vallely just returned from another of his fact finding missions deep inside Syria. Vallely warns against arming the Muslim-Brotherhood/Salafist-led Syrian Military Council, which is favored by both the Obama Administration and some Republicans like John McCain. Gen. Vallely also disclosed intelligence he received that Bashar Assad has already fled Syria for Tehran. Contrary to claims by the Administration that pending action is not about ousting Assad, Vallely offers a straight forward strategy that he says will make regime change a reality.
Vallely is the Chairman/Founder of Stand Up America, a national security think-tank composed of former military and intelligence personal. He is also a contributing editor to A Line of Sight.com.
Here's the text of the August 28 examiner.com article:
During his appearance on the Fox News Channel Wednesday morning, former Central Intelligence Agency officer and former Bush administration consultant, Wayne Simmons, accused President Obama of supporting the wrong people in the Syrian conflict. He stated that he agreed with an assessment of a reliable source who visited Syria and met with the rebels - Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely (US Army-Ret.)
Vallely, a noted-military analyst for news organizations such as Fox News Channel, had released a video (see accompanying Internet video) that documents his personal reconnaissance of the Syrian civil war, a war which may soon include U.S. military action against the Bashar al-Assad regime.
According to the national security think-tank, Stand Up America, Gen. Vallely and Nagi N. Najjar, Vallely's personal Middle East advisor, met with the Commander-in Chief of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Colonel Riad El Asaad, on their trip to Turkey and inside the Syrian war zone.
According to the 32-year Army veteran, he and Najjar sadly discovered the Obama administration is once again backing the wrong fighters in this extremely violent rebellion against an extremely violent Syrian president.
"Obama backed the overthrow of President Mubarek in Eqypt -- a dictator who at least maintained peaceful relations with the US and Israel -- and allowed the radical Muslim Brotherhood, with ties to Hamas, Hezbollah and other Islamist groups, to take control. Obama took part in the ouster and death of Libya's dictator Moamar Khadhafi only to find that nation at the mercy of terrorists, war lords and weak politicians. What's next with this administration?" asked former intelligence officer and police detective Sidney Franes.
Vallely discovered that President Barack Obama and some GOP lawmakers such as Sen. John McCain are eager to provide military weapons and other aid to certain elements of the Syrian rebel forces: sending all of the US support and logistics to the Muslim Brotherhood/Salafist-led Syrian Military Council backed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The FSA nationalistic command under Colonel Riad, which includes the majority of the opposition forces, does not receive any support – either military or logistical, according to Gen. Vallely.
Officials at Stand Up America claim that:
"Financial support and arms flowing through the Supreme Military Council and the Syrian National Council (SNC) have been given to radical Islamic elements that have inserted themselves into the battlefield. The true FSA has not received any of the support from the international community, instead they have been marginalized, even though they are the majority of the support on the ground."
"The command of the FSA - with the coalition of other defected officers and soldiers from the Syrian Military under Assad - originated to defend innocent protesters and civilians against the brutality and killing of the civilian population of the Assad regime. The true FSA desires to have a good relationship with the United States. During the meeting, the commanders spoke of their desire and aspiration for a Syria that allows for the people to think freely and live in liberty and freedom. They want the support of the United States because they say that the U.S. represents freedom to the world and they want freedom for Syria."
Gen. Vallely has been -- and continues -- telling all who will listen that Colonel Riad and his nationalistic military commanders -- as opposed to the Islamist-based SMC -- are confident they are capable of overthrowing the Assad government if the Syrian Air Force can be neutralized and taken out of action.
During Vallely's meeting with Colonel Riad, he stated they (FSA) “wished the U.S. would be open to them in a positive way”, they “desire good relations with the United States”.
"The true Free Syrian Army is not being represented or supported in Washington, DC. This must change. The U.S. must stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist elements and start supporting the FSA under the command of Colonel Riad," said Gen. Vallely.