Hundreds of insurgents/rebels/opposition forces are defecting, availing themselves of the amnesty President Assad offers those who lay down their weapons. Obviously those are Syrian men, not foreign mercenaries with no families or any other ties to Syria.
Many cogent reasons are given in the Telegraph article below to explain why more and more insurgents are defecting.
Metaphorically expressed, however, if the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, what the cannibals offer them sticks in their throats and won’t go down.
Syria: Disillusioned Rebels Drift Back to Take Assad Amnesty
By Ruth Sherlock, Beirut8:23PM BST 23 Jul 2013
Disillusioned by the Islamist twist that the “revolution” in Syria has taken, exhausted after more than two years of conflict and feeling that they are losing, growing numbers of rebels are signing up to a negotiated amnesty offered by the Assad regime.
At the same time, the families of retreating fighters have begun quietly moving back to government-controlled territory, seen as a safer place to live as the regime continues its intense military push against rebel-held areas.
The move is a sign of the growing confidence of the regime, which has established a so-called “ministry of reconciliation” with the task of easing the way for former opponents to return to the government side.
Ali Haider, the minister in charge, said: “Our message is, ‘if you really want to defend the Syrian people, put down your weapons and come and defend Syria in the right way, through dialogue’.”
Mr Haider, who has a reputation as a moderate within the regime, has established a system in which opposition fighters give up their weapons in exchange for safe passage to government-held areas.
Many cogent reasons are given in the Telegraph article below to explain why more and more insurgents are defecting.
Metaphorically expressed, however, if the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, what the cannibals offer them sticks in their throats and won’t go down.
Syria: Disillusioned Rebels Drift Back to Take Assad Amnesty
By Ruth Sherlock, Beirut8:23PM BST 23 Jul 2013
Disillusioned by the Islamist twist that the “revolution” in Syria has taken, exhausted after more than two years of conflict and feeling that they are losing, growing numbers of rebels are signing up to a negotiated amnesty offered by the Assad regime.
At the same time, the families of retreating fighters have begun quietly moving back to government-controlled territory, seen as a safer place to live as the regime continues its intense military push against rebel-held areas.
The move is a sign of the growing confidence of the regime, which has established a so-called “ministry of reconciliation” with the task of easing the way for former opponents to return to the government side.
Ali Haider, the minister in charge, said: “Our message is, ‘if you really want to defend the Syrian people, put down your weapons and come and defend Syria in the right way, through dialogue’.”
Mr Haider, who has a reputation as a moderate within the regime, has established a system in which opposition fighters give up their weapons in exchange for safe passage to government-held areas.
الديلي تيلغراف: العسكريون المنشقون عن الجيش السوري بدأوا العودة اليه
أوقات الشام
كشفت صحيفة الديلي تلغراف البريطانية أن "المئات من المسلحين الذين انشقوا عن قوات النظام السوري بدأوا بالعودة وفقا لاتفاقية عفو خاصة لإحساسهم بالإحباط لعدم تحقيق أهداف الثورة وتغلغل الإسلاميين في صفوفها، والإجهاد بعد مضي أكثر من سنتين على الحرب".
وقالت الصحيفة في تقرير بعنوان "مسلحون محبطون ومتعبون يعودون لصفوف قوات الأسد"، "إن عائلات هؤلاء الشبان ايضا قد انتقلت الى المناطق الواقعة تحت سيطرة القوات الحكومية بسب توفر الأمان فيها بدرجة أكبر".
ورأت الصحيفة أن هذا التطور يشير الى تزايد الثقة بالنظام، الذي أسس وزارة جديدة إسمها "وزارة المصالحة" مهمتها تسهيل عودة هؤلاء الشبان.
وقال الوزير علي حيدر الذي يقف على رأس الوزارة ان هناك ترتيبا يتخلى المقاتلون بموجبه عن أسلحتهم مقابل عبور آمن إلى المناطق التي تسيطر عليها قوات الحكومة.
ويقول أحد هؤلاء العائدين "كنت أقاتل في صفوف الثورة، لكننا خسرنا ما كنا نقاتل من أجله، الآن يسيطر متطرفون على بلدتي، وقد انتقلت عائلتي إلى منطقة تسيطر عليها قوات الحكومة".
ورأت الصحيفة أن هذا التطور يشير الى تزايد الثقة بالنظام، الذي أسس وزارة جديدة إسمها "وزارة المصالحة" مهمتها تسهيل عودة هؤلاء الشبان.
وقال الوزير علي حيدر الذي يقف على رأس الوزارة ان هناك ترتيبا يتخلى المقاتلون بموجبه عن أسلحتهم مقابل عبور آمن إلى المناطق التي تسيطر عليها قوات الحكومة.
ويقول أحد هؤلاء العائدين "كنت أقاتل في صفوف الثورة، لكننا خسرنا ما كنا نقاتل من أجله، الآن يسيطر متطرفون على بلدتي، وقد انتقلت عائلتي إلى منطقة تسيطر عليها قوات الحكومة".