Rebellion by government forces in Syria, could spin out of control warns UN
29 Sep 2011
As Syrian army defectors start targeting government forces, analysts say there was a clear danger that the country's largely peaceful rebellion would spin out of control into a sectarian civil war with wider regional ramifications.
Forces loyal to president Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday attempted to take back control of a central town from military forces switched sides, whilst in other towns there were also reports of fighters coming together.
Details were not clear even as diplomats and other sources said defecting units appeared a "hodgepodge" who might struggle to mount a sustained fight against superior forces.
Though protesters had occasionally seized weapons to attack security forces, according to witnesses, protests had been largely peaceful. Analysts say the arrival on the scene of loosely organised groups of military deserters added a new dimension to the uprising.
According to Julien Barnes-Dacey, Middle East analyst at London-based consultancy Control Risks, the strategy of peaceful opposition was clearly losing ground in the face of
Assad's brutal counter response and the call to arms was gaining currency as the only way of dislodging the regime.
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