Erstellt am: 11. 4. 2013 - 14:39 Uhr

When the good guys turn out to be bad guys

Reality Check: Al Qaeda groups in the Syrian opposition, US gun law changes, educating women, rationality quotients

Human rights groups say the government is targeting civilians in Syria's civil war. Human Rights Watch says thousands of innocent civilians are being killed in the bombing campaigns and it clear that they are often the deliberate targets.

However, while just about everyone may want to see the end of the Assad regime, the question of what might come after is throwing up some increasingly alarming scenarios.

Yesterday, one of the opposition groups, Al Nasra, publically announced its allegiance to Al Quaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al Nusra says this does not affect its strategy or campaign in Syria, so why has it highlighted this association at this stage? Analyst, Shashank Joshi, says he believes this is firstly the group wanting to position itself as part of a global fight against "anti Islamic leaders" and partly the group wanting to attract new recruits.

AL ARABIYA TELEVISION

The Syrian al Nasra rebel group has pledged its allegiance to Osama Bin Laden's successor, Ayman al Zawahiri

The announcement underlines the deeply fragmented nature of the Syrian opposition, which the International Community has broadly pledged to support. It's clear that no foreign powers would want to support Al Qaeda, so this leads to the dilemma of how to support and arm the opposition, without in the process, supporting and arming Al Qaeda.

So does anyone know who's who in Syria? Almost certainly not. Shashank Joshi says what while the announcement clarifies the alignment of this particular group, there are many more groups that may have similar affiliations, but no one knows who they are. He says that the "Free Syrian Army"
appears increasingly to be a label of convenience applied to give the impression of unity where there is none.

William Shakespeare observed that "Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows" - or to put it in more modern terms, nothing brings people together like having a common enemy. The danger is in what happens after that when the enemy is conquered. The US supported Saddam Hussein against Iran, and then took two Gulf Wars to get rid of him. The US supported the Mujahedeen against the Soviets in Afghanistan, then the Taliban took over the country. Now the West finds itself on the same side as Al Qaeda in Syria, and while it may try to ensure it supports moderate opposition groups rather than jihadi ones, it will be a very difficult line to draw, and even more difficult to control who takes power afterwards.

US gun laws

Simon Marks reports from Washington DC on the controversial compromise that could see changes to US gun laws.

Educating women for a better world

Why education for women is key to reducing poverty and stimulating economic growth in the developing world.

Rationality quotient

Why people with high intelligence are not necessarily rational.

Bill Clinton was undoubtedly highly intelligient, but how could he have been stupid enough to get involved with Monica Lewinsky, and then to lie about it?

FM4 Reality Check

Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.00, and after the show via Podcast or fm4.orf.at/realitycheck.