Reuters: Syrian rebel says Russia air raids mean longer war, seeks anti-aircraft missiles
A prominent Syrian rebel leader said on Thursday that Russian air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad meant the war would go on longer, fuel extremism, and draw more foreign fighters to Syria.
Bashar al-Zoubi, who heads one of the largest rebel groups in southern Syria, called on Assad's Arab foes to meet the rebels' long-standing demand for anti-aircraft missiles so they could defend themselves from the newly arrived Russian jets.
He also said that even Russian air power could not settle the four-year-long war on Assad's terms, and said Moscow ran the risk of another Afghanistan in Syria - a reference to the Soviet Union's defeat there in the 1980s.
"These air strikes will extend the life of the war as a first step," said Zoubi, whose Yarmouk Army fights under the banner of the "Free Syrian Army" (FSA).
WNU Editor: These rebels are right .... and they are now probably going to get the anti-aircraft missiles that they have been asking for in the past year.