there are different military groups, using terrorist methods against the government

there are different military groups, using terrorist methods against the government forces, as well as against each other. The most prominent of them, the Free Syrian Army, is not strong enough to defeat Assad’s forces. Even if the US provides the FSA with light weapons, this opposition group is outnumbered by hundreds of thousands against Assad’s army. Even according to the most exaggerated estimates, the size of the FSA does not exceed 20,000 soldiers, while Assad’s army counts as many as 400,000, equipped with heavy and sophisticated weapons. Due to the uprising, different extremist military groups have been able to cross the border and enter Syria. One of the leading armed groups, Al-Nusra Front, an affiliate of the world’s largest terrorist organizations Al-Qaeda, has been included by the US in the international terrorism blacklist. It is important to note that these rebels have many supply channels, making it impossible for the US to control which group will be receiving the weapons, creating the risk of the US arms being used by terrorists against America or its allies in the region. Moreover, after two years of fighting against the regime, the opposition forces have started to turn guns on each other, fighting for power and territory. This significantly undermines their ability to form a united government, decreasing the probability of a strong alternative force. Providing military groups with weapons will only escalade the violence, lead to more massacre and _destruction. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_030826