Syrian rebels warn they will turn to al Qaeda if West fails them!

ALEPPO, Syria (PNN) - August 16, 2012 - With the West still refusing to arm Syria’s opposition in the bloody fight against the regime, rebels in the flashpoint northern city of Aleppo warn that they could turn to al Qaeda for help.

“We don’t want al Qaeda here, but if nobody else helps us, we will make an alliance with them,” said Abu Ammar, a rebel commander in the central Bab al-Nasr district of Aleppo, scene of raging battles for almost a month.

“You can bet if al Qaeda comes here, they will brainwash the people,” said Ammar. “If al Qaeda enters Aleppo, the city will become their base within three months.”

Experts have repeatedly warned that the uprising could take on an increasingly radical flavor if calls for assistance went unheeded.

The majority of Syria’s population is Sunni Muslim, but the country is led by the Alawite Assad clan. Members of the Alawite community - an offshoot of Shiite Islam - are considered by radical Islamists as apostates.

Though many rebels may not share this view, there are growing signs that they may be willing to make a pact with even the most radical groups to bring down Assad.

“The main aim is to stop this bloodshed in Aleppo. If neither the West nor the Arabs will help us, we will ask for the help of al Qaeda to stop the bloodshed,” said Baraa, an anti-regime activist in Aleppo, who said al Qaeda’s possible presence would not mean that they would take over.

“In the end, the people of Aleppo will decide their fate,” Baraa told AFP via Skype.