“Disillusioned” Opposition Militants in Syria Asking Gov’t Amnesty: Report

Opposition fighters are disillusioned by the extremists’ twist of the so-called Syrian revolution, with growing numbers of them are signing up to a negotiated amnesty offered by the government, a report said.

Opposition fighters are disillusioned by the extremists’ twist of the so-called Syrian revolution, with growing numbers of them are signing up to a negotiated amnesty offered by the government, a report said.

British daily, the Telegraph reported on Tuesday th at “growing numbers of rebels are signing up to a negotiated amnesty offered by the Assad regime.”

It said that these militants are “disillusioned by the Islamist twist that the "revolution" in Syria has taken,” and “exhausted after more than two years of conflict.”

The Telegraph added that the fighters are feeling they are losing the fight.

“At the same time, the families of retreating fighters have begun quietly moving back to government-controlled territory, seen as a safer place to live as the regime continues its intense military push against rebel-held areas.”

The Syrian government has established a “ministry of reconciliation" with the task of easing the way for former opposition militants to return to the government side.

The minister in charge of reconciliation, Ali Haidar said: "Our message is, 'if you really want to defend the Syrian people, put down your weapons and come and defend Syria in the right way, through dialogue'."

“Haidar, who has a reputation as a moderate within the regime, has established a system in which opposition fighters give up their weapons in exchange for safe passage to government-held areas,” The Telegraph added.