German spy chief: Signs show Assad regime is in its final phase

Government forces concentrating on holding capital, rebels better coordinated, says Gerhard Schindler

9 December 2012, 12:58 pm

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A rebel fighter throws a grenade toward Syrian troops loyal to President Bashar Assad during clashes in Aleppo, Syria, on Friday, Dec. 7 (photo credit: AP/Narciso Contreras)

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s foreign intelligence chief said the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad won’t survive, but it’s impossible to say how long it will hang on.

The head of the Federal Intelligence Service, Gerhard Schindler, was quoted Sunday as telling the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper: “Signs are increasing that the regime in Damascus is in its final phase.”

Schindler says Assad and his allies are concentrating on holding districts such as the capital, Damascus, and increasingly relying on air power rather than direct fighting. He notes that coordination between armed opposition groups is continually improving — “that makes the fight against Assad more effective.”

The uprising against Assad began with peaceful protests in March 2011 and escalated into a civil war. Rebel commanders have now joined forces under a united command.