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Hizbullah's Advances in Syria Expose Its Frailties in Lebanon
(National-UAE) Sharif Nashashibi - The fall of Yabroud on Sunday to Hizbullah and Syrian regime forces is a significant setback for rebel fighters. The Syrian city, which had been under opposition control for much of the revolution, was their last stronghold near the Lebanese border and its fall leaves nearby rebel-held towns and suburbs of Damascus, the capital, more vulnerable to attacks that are reportedly imminent. It also enables President Assad to secure the land route linking his coastal stronghold with Damascus. However, the description of this as "a continuation of the successes made by the Syrian army" is fanciful. This, and a string of previous battlefield gains, would not have been possible without the direct involvement of Hizbullah fighters. The fact is that the regime owes its survival to foreign intervention. Yet the more Hizbullah advances in Syria, the more unstable its position at home. Attacks against it in Lebanon are increasing in scale and frequency. Hizbullah is now widely viewed as a killer of fellow Arabs in support of a dictator whose regime is guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.