Philip Smyth writes: \u00a0Both rebel forces and the Islamic State are on the march in Syria. Islamist opposition groups have\u00a0advanced in the south near Daraa and in the north in Idlib; the Islamic State, meanwhile, last week
\nconquered the central city of Palmyra. President Bashar al-Assad\u2019s regime is clearly under strain, but\u00a0rumors of its impending demise are greatly overstated.<\/p>\n
While Assad and his Iranian allies are increasingly struggling to field enough forces to protect strategically\u00a0important areas, they have nonetheless moved aggressively to prevent regime collapse. Using cash and
\ncoercion, Assad has launched new efforts to bolster troop levels and engender further loyalty. Just last\u00a0week, the Syrian regime announced its hope for a $1 billion credit line from Tehran to continue the fight.
\nMore importantly, Iranian-backed foreign-fighter recruitment and deployment have increased\u00a0dramatically. With these efforts, the wheels are now in motion for the regime not only to contain rebel\u00a0advances, but also to push them back.
\nEarly in 2014, the deployment of pro-Assad foreign fighters hit a significant snag when thousands of Iraqi
\nShiite militiamen started returning to Iraq following the Islamic State\u2019s gains there. However, the crown\u00a0jewel of Iran\u2019s proxy network \u2014 the Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah \u2014 soon picked up the slack for
\nthe redeployed Iraqis. Hezbollah recruitment has increased, both within Lebanon and via the group\u2019s\u00a0affiliated proxies in Syria. The organization also boosted its influence by targeting not just Shiite Muslims
\nfor recruitment, but also other minorities, such as Druze and Christian groups, forming them into\u00a0paramilitary organizations fitting the Hezbollah model.<\/p>\n
Philip Smyth writes: \u00a0Both rebel forces and the Islamic State are on the march in Syria. Islamist opposition groups have\u00a0advanced in the south near Daraa and in the north in Idlib; the Islamic State, meanwhile, last week conquered the central … Continue reading ![\"149788_600\"](\"http:\/\/www.w-t-w.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/149788_600.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"