HannibalBarca
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ISIS/AQ/Al-Nusra etc. were already present long before Russia intervened. They controlled a huge landmass stretching from the western outskirts of Baghdad all the way to Daraa.
The same elements were hunting down/killing/fighting against the genuine Syrian opposition. The Syrian Sunni Arab "nationalistic/patriotic" element if you like with "moderate Islamists" being a part of that group as well. Or at least the two parties were not at conflict as the ISIS/AQ maniacs who did everything in their power to destroy the Syrian opposition and scare everyone away from the Syrian opposition due to successful Al-Assad regime propaganda of either me or ISIS.
I don't understand your last sentence, and I don't agree that Turkey was passive. In fact they were the most active part in the neighborhood since day 1 due to simple geography and being the strongest neighboring state of Syria with an unstable Iraq next door, a Jordan with not much room for maneuver and Lebanon is best not to mention either. They alongside their allies in Qatar (the pro-MB axis) used the most energy media wise and money/logistic wise to try to remove Al-Assad.
KSA's sole objective was to remove a pro-Mullah regime if given the opportunity. So everyone involved had/have their own visions. Russia might be on the same side as the Mullah's on paper but in reality they have totally different end goals, ideologies and have been clashing for years with power struggles left and right until mostly the Russian/Al-Assad ("Arab nationalist" side won over the Shia/Alawi pan-Islamist part closely allied to Hezbollah and the Mullah's).
ISIS came later on...
AQ had little power(2011-2012/13... The one who had more power... are what the west call "Moderate Rebels"... who most of time were aligned with previous FSA...
"Radicalism" Increased when they begun to retreat against ASSad/RU forces... that started with funds being limited/stopped.
I remember Turkey in the 2011-2012 period... they were mostly observers... who only participated at the basic level... Like Aid/Equipment transfer from US/Arabs to Syrian rebels.
They started an active role when Rebel groups where underfunded/losing... Turkey stepped in... and switched the "Influence" game...
But you can see a difference with the North and South Rebels... around 2012-2013... Where Turkey couldn't fill the void (Damascus/Daraa region)
I believe Turkey jumped in at such extreme with the main idea that ASSad will fall if Rebels get enough "Support"... Till RU stepped in and ISIS begun to expend...
My point is... Rebels were Mostly NAtionalist... And where Arab gov had an opportunity to succeed in keeping their support to them... But unfortunately Other hotspots took away the focus... till someone else took the seat of influence and therefore begun to shape it in the way he wished...
In the End ASSad is not the answer... and Syria is already a mess... so let it be/finish and then let's hope Arabs are back to recollect what is left... And not siding with the wrong side... in hope to save... something that is worthless to them and the region... and lose the support of Millions of Arabs in the process...
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