> about 80% of the syrian population are sunni muslims. now, 70% are sunni muslim arabs and 10% are kurdish. the kurds and arabs didn't get along well because they have contradictory national objectives. the kurds were demanding that arabs recognize their national rights. the arab rebels rejected kurdish aspirations for a high degree of autonomy, if not independence. the kurds called their region in north-east syria, rojava, which means the western part of kurdistan. many arabs fear that the kurds ultimately want independence. what is more, turkey demanded that the arab militias not to cooperate with the ypg. ankara insists that the upg is part of the pkk, the kurdish organization in turkey that ankara and the u.s. blame for 40,000 deaths and have designated as a terrorist organization.  > another reason the jihadist forces within the syrian opposition became paramount is that they had the biggest backbench. they could call on support from seasoned fighters in iraq and afghanistan as well as mobilize foreign fighters from around the world. young muslims flocked to syria to participate in the jihad against the unbeliever tyrant. > many syrian opposition supporters blame the west for the success of the jihadists. they argue that had the west destroyed the syrian army early on in the uprising, liberal syrians would have taken control and stopped the rise of the jihadists. i am not convinced by this argument. western statesmen and women have repeatedly over-estimated the number and power of middle eastern liberals. from afghanistan to libya, western intervention has not enabled liberal opposition groups, but the opposite.
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