Syrian rebels bitterly divided before new peace talks
None
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's opponents appear more divided than ever as they prepare for peace talks next week, demoralised by their defeat in Aleppo and unable to unite into a single force to defend their remaining territory.
The new diplomacy led by Assad's Russian allies has exposed yet more splits in a rebellion that has never had a clear chief, with rebel factions long fractured by regional rivalries, their ties to foreign states, and an ideological battle over whether to pursue Syrian national or Sunni jihadist goals.
Several leaders have became prominent only to be killed in the nearly six-year-old conflict and numerous military and political coalitions have come and gone. After the rebels' defeat in Aleppo last month, the latest effort to unify the jihadist and moderate wings of the insurgency collapsed. By contrast Assad is as strong as at any time since the fighting began, his Russian and Iranian backers committed to his survival while the differing agendas of foreign states backing the rebels have added to their divisions.
