Feuding Gulfis shift pieces in complicated Syrian game of chess

Syrian rebel groups are keeping an anxious eye on the dispute pitting Qatar against its neighbours, as divisions threaten to widen between factions that have grown heavily dependent on their Gulf patrons for funding and arms – some of whose agendas are being actively shaped by their patrons’’ distinctive regional interests.Fears are growing that the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus is set to become the latest proxy battleground for rival Gulf states.