Armed Opposition Against Assad Starts To Form In Syria

Syrian Colonel Plots Guerrilla Attacks Against Assad Regime -- The Independent

Leader of rebel army formed by military defectors is protected by Turkey.

The most senior officer to defect from Syria's armed forces is plotting a series of guerrilla attacks and targeted assassinations from self-imposed exile in Turkey in an attempt to topple the regime.

Colonel Riad al-As'aad, 50, is the head of a newly formed Syrian Free Army – a force made up of defectors from the Syrian military – devoted to overthrowing the regime of Bashar al-Assad by military force in apparent connivance with his Turkish protectors. "They [the regime] forced us to respond," he told The Independent. "We are organised inside. We are soldiers, we are working. Our power is slowly growing."

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My Comment: If this Colonel is supported by Turkey .... which appears to be the case (all be it covertly) .... this escalates tensions in the region appreciably. Syria has already warned its neighbors to not recognize the Syrian opposition movement .... but if this is any indication .... Syria is already starting to fracture along sectarian/tribal/and religious lines.