It has been reported some few weeks ago that the  US is going to send non-lethal aid-package to the Syrian rebels. Also,  the UK has pledged that it will send armored vehicles, body-armor,  communications’ equipments and medical supplies to Syrian rebels. Such  may mean that the leading nations of the Free World like the US. France,  Britain and others might reconsider their position about not getting  directly involved in arming and helping the Syrian rebels.

I  think the leading members of the Free World must ensure that the  aid-packages that they’re going to send to Syrian rebels will not fall  into the hands of jihadist extremists and radical Islamists. I think a  monitoring system should be established by the leading nations of the  Free World wherein they can check if the aid-packages that they’ve sent  to Syrian rebels really went to groups that are moderate, secular and  respectful of human rights.

Jihadist extremists and radical  Islamists have become powerful in many parts of Northern Syria. Many  reports claim that armed jihadist extremist groups in certain villages  in Northern Syria have already harshly imposed the sharia law. Such  would mean that there are already villages in Syria where the sharia law  has already been imposed by dictatorial elements that espouse religious  extremism. If aid-packages will fall into the wrong hands in Syria,  then the Assad regime might get replaced by a more dictatorial regime  that will trample upon secular values and human rights.

I think  Free World countries should be cautious in directly arming and helping  the Syrian rebels. Such Free World countries should ensure that the  aid-packages that they’re going to send to Syrian rebels will not fall  into the hands of armed religious extremists. Remember that armed  religious extremists are threatening many governments right now in  Africa. The Free World countries should not allow the armed religious  extremists to destabilize the whole Middle East region. Such  destabilization of the said region will have bad effects on the global  economy. Many migrant workers, including Filipino overseas workers, will  be displaced from their jobs in the region if such huge destabilization  by armed religious extremists occur. Armed religious extremists from  Syria might use the civil war there as a flashpoint to carry out  destabilization plots all over the Middle East region.

Free  World countries must pressure the Free Syrian Army to cut ties with  certain armed jihadist groups that espouse radical Islamism. The Syrian  National Coalition should likewise be pressured by the international  community to not cooperate with armed religious extremists and ensure  that the Assad regime will not be replaced by a religious dictatorship.

(NOTE:  I submitted this iReport as a reaction to the recent release of 21 UN  peacekeepers by Syrian rebels belonging to the Yarmouk Martyrs’ Brigade.  I feel that though such UN peacekeepers who happen to be  fellow-Filipinos were treated well during their captivity until their  release from such captivity, the incident might mean that armed  religious extremists in Syria are becoming stronger everyday and might  one day dominate the current coalition of Syrian rebel groups.

I  do think that the leading nations of the Free World must do something to  ensure that only Syrian rebel groups which espouse secular values and  are respectful of human rights and the international law would be the  ones to get proper assistance from Free World countries.)