U.S.-backed rebels team with Islamists

to capture strategic Syrian city

"Supporters of the moderate rebels sought, however, to discredit claims from the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors fighting in Syria, that Nusra had led the fighting and that it and Islamist groups were responsible for the city’s capture.

Muhammad al Faisal, a reporter with the opposition Orient TV network, who is now in Jisr al Shughur, told McClatchy that many moderate rebel groups had taken part in the assault on the city, something the Syrian Observatory report did not note.

Gen. Ahmad Berri, the deputy chief of staff of the pro-Western Free Syrian Army, said half the fighters in the attack were affiliated with the FSA. He said moderate rebels destroyed nine government tanks. He also acknowledged that Nusra had deployed one suicide bomber and one car bomb in the fighting."

If I was being picky, I might question how much any rebels in Syria are backed by the US. Certainly some of their TOW anti-tank missiles were used, though when Idlib was captured, the TOWs used were ones captured by Nusra from their original recipients.

Still, better than the rubbish you get from the BBC*, including stupid lines like, "Before the rise of Islamic State, the Nusra Front was seen as the strongest and most militant rebel force."
* "Islamists capture Jisr al-Shughur" [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-32461693]

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/25/264444/us-backed-rebels-team-with-islamists.html#storylink=cpy

Supporters of the moderate rebels sought, however, to discredit claims from the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors fighting in Syria, that Nusra had led the fighting and that it and Islamist groups were responsible for the city’s capture.

Muhammad al Faisal, a reporter with the opposition Orient TV network, who is now in Jisr al Shughur, told McClatchy that many moderate rebel groups had taken part in the assault on the city, something the Syrian Observatory report did not note.

Gen. Ahmad Berri, the deputy chief of staff of the pro-Western Free Syrian Army, said half the fighters in the attack were affiliated with the FSA. He said moderate rebels destroyed nine government tanks. He also acknowledged that Nusra had deployed one suicide bomber and one car bomb in the fighting.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/25/264444/us-backed-rebels-team-with-islamists.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/25/264444/us-backed-rebels-team-with-islamists.html#storylink=cpy