Are jihadists hijacking Syria's uprising?

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri goes public with his support for the Syrian opposition — even though protesters want nothing to do with him As Syria spirals toward a full-blown civil war that could engulf the Middle East, al Qaeda is making a push to claim a role in the 11-month uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. In a new video, Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of the terrorist network, is calling on Muslims to support Syrian rebels in their quest to topple Assad's "pernicious, cancerous regime." The Syrian government has repeatedly claimed that its military strikes on civilian areas were aimed at terrorists, and specifically blamed al Qaeda for two suicide bombings that killed at least 28 people in the northern city of Aleppo last week. Could al Qaeda succeed in exploiting Syria's turmoil to increase its influence in the region?

Yes. Al Qaeda is making headway in Syria: The Syrian opposition hasn't shown much affinity for jihad, say Tim Lister and Paul Cruickshank at CNN, but the worsening violence might give Zawahiri a golden opportunity to "graft al Qaeda" onto the uprising. "Security vacuums and growing radicalism brought on by economic collapse" have helped Islamists "gain a foothold — and in some instances, safe havens — across the Arab world," including in Zawahiri's native Egypt. Look for al Qaeda to try and repeat that pattern as Syria is ravaged by internal strife.
"Can al Qaeda tap into Syria rage?"

But Syrians want nothing to do with al Qaeda: The chaos in Syria and "the lure of jihad against a brutal secular regime will surely attract extremists," says Robert Grenier at Al Jazeera, but their influence will be limited. Suicide bombs might ratchet up the level of violence, but they won't win al Qaeda political power or even renewed popularity. "Syrians have enough means and motives of their own to bring down the Assad regime, and they are not inclined to see their national quest" hijacked by terrorists.
"Syria: Liberation or catastrophe?"

And Zawahiri doesn't really want the uprising to succeed: By targeting the regime, jihadists are trying to "thwart a negotiated settlement," says Kamran Bokhari at Stratfor, and force Assad "to crack down even harder on opponents (both armed and unarmed)." Al Qaeda's goal is to create a cycle of violence that causes "a meltdown of the Syrian state and the rise of multiple armed factions." Such chaos would give al Qaeda a new base on the edge of Israel and the Palestinian territories — "the best theater a jihadist could ask for."
"Jihadist opportunities in Syria"

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Ousting Syria's Assad: Whose responsibility is it?

Many world leaders agree that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has to go. But no one is eagerly volunteering to sweep him aside

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday, and urged Assad to restore peace in his violence-torn country. Assad reportedly said he wants to see an end to the violence plaguing his country, too, but his forces nonetheless continued their deadly bombardment of the rebel stronghold of Homs. Lavrov's visit came as Russia faces bitter criticism from the West for vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Assad. As violence rages in Syria, the world is increasingly united behind the idea that it's time for Assad to go — even Russia says Assad must make way for true democracy. So whose job should it be to push Assad out the door? Here, four possibilities:

1. President Obama needs to take the lead
"The Obama Administration has been behind the curve on confronting Syria's threat," says James Carafano at The Foundry. President Obama initially tried to engage Assad and prod him to make democratic reforms. Only this week did the administration close the U.S. embassy in Damascus. But even now, we're only lightly imposing sanctions "on a regime that is brutally murdering its people." It's time for the U.S. to "take action to help bring about Assad's downfall." Obama is right to stop short of military intervention, but he should step up sanctions and step up support — economic and diplomatic — for legitimate leaders of the democratic opposition.

SEE MORE: Is Syria's election a sham?

2. Russia might be able to sort this out
Lavrov says Assad has asked Russia to broker talks with the opposition, say Henry Meyer and Ilya Arkhipov at Bloomberg. So in many ways, now it's up to Russia to make it happen. Russia (along with China) put itself on the spot by vetoing the Security Council resolution. As Syria's main supplier of arms, Russia has influence over Syria that other countries simply don't to bring to the table. The question is, will Moscow deliver?

3. Syria's neighbors should step in
The West won't intervene, and the U.N. "can't even pass a meek condemnatory resolution," says Saad Khan at The Huffington Post. That means "the ball is in the Arab League and Turkey's court." The Arab League's plan for Syria "explicitly called for Assad to step down," and "Ankara was among the first to condemn Assad's brutalities." As leaders in the region, these players have both legitimacy and responsibility. "Perhaps it is time for Ankara and the Arab League to start planning for a humanitarian intervention in Syria."

SEE MORE: Why Russia won't take a stand against Syria: 4 theories

4. It's up to the Syrian people... with a little help from the West
Pressuring the Assad regime is a dead end, says Britain's Telegraph in an editorial. "All the evidence suggests that force alone will end Assad's misrule." But no foreign leaders seem to have the stomach for military intervention. So what's the answer? U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "has proposed that 'friends of democratic Syria' should coordinate assistance to Assad's opponents," much like they did in Libya. A group like that could supply weapons to the Free Syrian Army, and let Syrians get rid of Assad themselves.

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