Behind The Lines: Is Assad Winning In Syria? -- Jonathan Spyer, Jerusalem Post
Backed by Iran and Hezbollah, the Syrian regime is clawing back areas lost to the rebels; it is thus likely that the Assad regime will be around for some time to come; US, West still prefer to stay directly out of conflict.
The imminent demise of the regime of Bashar Assad has been announced on numerous occasions over the last two years of civil war in Syria. But the regime has held on. Despite some advances by rebels in the south of the country in the early months of 2013, Assad shows no signs of cracking.
Indeed, in the last few weeks, the momentum of the fighting has shifted somewhat. Regime forces have clawed back areas of recent rebel advance. The government side, evidently under Iranian tutelage, has showed an impressive and unexpected ability to adapt itself to the changing demands of the war.
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My Comment: What has saved Assad (so far) is the flood of Hezbollah and Iranian "volunteers", massive influxes of monies and weaponry from Russia and Iran, and a reluctance from the West to support Syria's rebels with lethal weaponry. But should any of these conditions change .... Assad's hold on Syria may change very quickly.