Arab Regimes Still Waiting for Captain America

The reluctance of Arab regimes to support the rebels full throttle owes much to their anticipation that America will eventually intervene to stem the regional spillover (an expectation entirely consistent with the Obama administration’s gradually deepening commitment to the rebel cause over the past two years). The Arab regimes’ primary concern is not to accelerate the inevitable collapse of Syria’s minoritarian autocracy – it is to reap the greatest possible share of the spoils from it, at the least possible expense. This means giving various insurgent factions enough arms and financing under the table to win their respective loyalties and keep them fighting until America steps in, but not enough to enable an outright rebel victory. The Machiavellian nature of Arab intervention continues to severely limit the overall strength and cohesion of the rebel effort.