Syria rebel quits after battlefield defeat Col Okaidi, a member of the western backed rebel Supreme Military Council, was a major recipient of western support to the opposition. Even then, Yasser al-Haj, his political advisor, said Col Okaidi had received in the last year were some food parcels for his troops and "one small shipment of ammunition." It was embarrassing not to be able to support his soldiers because of unfulfilled promises by his backers. They were getting upset," said Mr Haj. Why should Col Okaidi pay for that? Whilst Islamist groups have been growing in numbers and prowess on the battlefield, the more moderate western backed rebel Free Syrian Army - always a fractured entity - is becoming splintered to the point where it risks no longer having the capability to defend its territory against the Syrian regime, analysts have said. The rebel held north of Syria is increasingly being divided into small fiefdoms for rebel commanders who battle each other for territory and lucrative smuggling routes. This, coupled with the burgeoning with their al-Qaeda counterparts is leaving the opposition with little time to concentrate on the battle with the regime. Col Okaidi also blamed the failures at Safira on "warlord" commanders in the FSA: ""Stop... racing each other for power and for your kingdoms... Go back to how you were" at the start of the revolt, he said. The colonel's resignation comes as foreign governments rally for a proposed Geneva II peace conference in mid-November, something which neither the opposition National Coalition, nor the Syrian government has yet fully agreed to. Recent talks on the conference between western governments and pro-Assad Iran have led many rebel leaders inside Syria to fear that the conference will allow Bashar al-Assad to remain in power, or at the very least produce a transition government that contains a portion of the current regime; something which they find untenable. In an outpouring of years of pent up frustrations - Col Okaidi offered deeply sarcastic congratulations to the National Coalition "for your hotels and your political posts." The National Coalition has lost the respect of much of the internal opposition, after years of infighting within the group and failed diplomatic efforts, and few put stock in them to find a solution to the crises: "You can hardly represent yourselves," said Col Okaidi.