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Syrian Civil War (Graphic Photos/Vid Not Allowed)

Guy, do you realize how hysterical you sound? NOT 1.5 km but 6 km!!!11!!11
You are screaming like little girl and talking about hysteria. :lol:

Behave. You're not a child I hope. Israel achieved NOTHING. Please refute that? Israel wanted a buffer zone.Hezbollah even almost sunk an Israel navy ship.
After Israeli withdrawal in 2000, Hezbollah claimed that it incomplete and that Israel should also leave Shebaa Farms. Thats why they constantly attacked Israel:

2000–06 Shebaa Farms conflict - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As result of 2006 war these attacks ceased, although Israel still controls Shebaa Farms.
 
You are screaming like little girl and talking about hysteria. :lol:


After Israeli withdrawal in 2000, Hezbollah claimed that it incomplete and that Israel should also leave Shebaa Farms. Thats why they constantly attacked Israel:

2000–06 Shebaa Farms conflict - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As result of 2006 war these attacks ceased, although Israel still controls Shebaa Farms.

The !!11!!!!!1 is a giveaway, mocking hysterical people. I'm not hysterical. Well, Shebaa Farms are Lebanese ground I'd hope you agree. Why is Israel still there? It's not alright to occupy other people's land.
 
It is sad to see persian propaganda all over the forum, this section of forum is almost a persian trash:-). They put everything on the internet, it doesn't matter of the article is garbage.


Be carful about that. 99 percent of iranian members in this forum are from military.ir which is an online forum filled with islamist thugs and mullah puppets. If you read persian you can check the website out. Some members even operate with the same account names. And they are anything but persian. They are islamists. Today the vast majority of persians are secular and extremely anti mullah. So dont bring the race card into the game. The iranian members u see on this forum are mullah supporters and are desperately trying to save the mullas regime face by resorting to cheap debating tactics. The good news is the even in Iran nobody's taking these people seriously anymore.
 
Rebels doing their best to make children happy in Aleppo as the schools were closed today due to airstrikes:

And as for Jisr al Shughour national hospital, the rebels have taken the top floors. Regime is now holed up in the 4 underground floors of it. Rebels will probably just starve them out, as the regime troops can no longer receive supplies underground. Regime also executed civilians within the hospital and threw their bodies into cramped rooms along with dead soldier's bodies. Video of this:
من داخل مشفى جسر الشغور الوطني
 
It is sad to see persian propaganda all over the forum, this section of forum is almost a persian trash:-). They put everything on the internet, it doesn't matter of the article is garbage.
even a non Iranian article posted by non Iranian person... is still full Iranian
you're pathetic obsessed with Iranians

Be carful about that. 99 percent of iranian members in this forum are from military.ir which is an online forum filled with islamist thugs and mullah puppets. If you read persian you can check the website out. Some members even operate with the same account names. And they are anything but persian. They are islamists. Today the vast majority of persians are secular and extremely anti mullah. So dont bring the race card into the game. The iranian members u see on this forum are mullah supporters and are desperately trying to save the mullas regime face by resorting to cheap debating tactics. The good news is the even in Iran nobody's taking these people seriously anymore.
yeah sure . this is a conspiracy group of Iranians . we are all "mullah supporters" .
damned you're high. (or very childish)
better debate than criticizing the other not debate , which is a non debate attitude from your side. i have been used in my life from the pro ultras ("pro mullah " is a word often used by propaganda too), the pro MeK or pro royalists people like you . these people never debate but always use the same tactics= non debate . lot of people here in this forum debate and participate . you like it or not, at least debate, give contradiction
don't come with a non constructive attitude . thx
 
The !!11!!!!!1 is a giveaway, mocking hysterical people. I'm not hysterical. Well, Shebaa Farms are Lebanese ground I'd hope you agree. Why is Israel still there? It's not alright to occupy other people's land.

The UN says Israel withdrew fully from Lebanon and no land claims by the Hezzies are legitimate.

The only reason the Hezzies kept claiming more land and another bush and another tree, is so they could justify holding onto their weapons arsenal and controlling Lebanon.
 
ScreenHunter_1035 May. 12 15.54.jpg

الأفغان؛ مرتزقة الأسد | مراسل سوري
 
Syria's Mercenaries: The Afghans Fighting Assad's War

image-846441-galleryV9-iuyr.jpg

Syrian dictator Bashar Assad is running out of soldiers and is forced to rely on mercenaries in his ongoing battle against rebels. Many of his foreign fighters come from Afghanistan -- men like Murad, who is now being held in Aleppo as a prisoner-of-war.

"I thought they would kill me immediately. But they bandaged me up and took me to their quarters. There was someone there who spoke a bit of Persian and he told me I didn't need to be afraid."

Afghan Mercenaries Fighting for Assad and Stuck in Syria - SPIEGEL ONLINE
 
............
IDF Rabbi @IDFrabbi
#Damascus, #Syria will cease from being a city. (ספר ישעיה Isaiah 17:1). Until now it has been the oldest continuous city in world.

6:20 AM - 12 May 2015

:lol: , clown idiot

..................

صفحة الثورة السورية @RevolutionSyria
“CNN: U.S. officials: Assad losses in #Syria could become ISIS gains”

................

Almanarnews English @AlmanarEnglish
26aa.png
Syrian Army, Resistance Fighters Capture Key Posts in Al-Qalamoun #Syria #Middle_East http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=210021&cid=20&fromval=1&frid=21&seccatid=23&s1=1 …

....................

Syrian Network_SNHR @snhr
#Syria #SNHR: at least 22 victims in gov aviation barrel bomb dropped on Jisr Al Haj in Aleppo, May 12

7:48 AM - 12 May 2015

...................
 
Reuters / Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Free Syrian Army fighters cover their ears as they fire a rocket towards forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad in Deraa countryside May 11, 2015. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir
r
 
Syria crisis: Turkey and Saudi Arabia shock Western countries by supporting anti-Assad jihadists
v2-21-Syrian-affiliate-AFP-Getty.jpg



Joint approach by Turkey and Saudi Arabia graphically illustrates how the interests of the Sunni regional powers are diverging from those of the US in Syria


Kim Sengupta
plus.png


Tuesday 12 May 2015



Print
A
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Turkey and Saudi Arabia are actively supporting a hardline coalition of Islamist rebels against Bashar al-Assad’s regime that includes al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, in a move that has alarmed Western governments.

The two countries are focusing their backing for the Syrian rebels on the combined Jaish al-Fatah, or the Army of Conquest, a command structure for jihadist groups in Syria that includes Jabhat al-Nusra, an extremist rival to Isis which shares many of its aspirations for a fundamentalist caliphate.

The decision by the two leading allies of the West to back a group in which al-Nusra plays a leading role has alarmed Western governments and is at odds with the US, which is firmly opposed to arming and funding jihadist extremists in Syria’s long-running civil war.

It threatens to trump Washington’s own attempt to train pro-Western opposition fighters, announced by President Barack Obama a year ago but finally launched only last week. The number of fighters involved is small and, crucially, the State Department insists that they would take the field against Isis and not against the regime.

The new joint approach follows an agreement reached in early March when Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the recently crowned Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, diplomats have told The Independent.



In pictures: Syria air strikes
1 of 20
  • air-strikes-1.jpg
Next

Relations had been fraught between the Turkish president and the late King Abdullah, primarily because of Turkey’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Saudi monarchy considers a threat. But Mr Erdogan stressed to Saudi officials that the lack of Western action in Syria, especially the failure to impose a “no-fly zone”, meant that regional powers now needed to come together and take the lead to help the opposition.

The Army of Conquest – which also numbers the extremist groups Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa among its seven members – has a command centre in Idlib, northern Syria. Turkish officials admit giving logistical and intelligence support to the command headquarters. Although they deny giving direct help to al-Nusra, they acknowledge that the group would be beneficiaries.

They also acknowledge links with Ahrar al-Sham, which is held to be extremist by the US, but has fought against Isis, as has al-Nusra in some parts of Syria. Turkish officials claim that bolstering Ahrar al-Sham will weaken the influence of al-Nusra.

Material support – arms and money – have been coming from the Saudis, say rebels and officials, with the Turks facilitating its passage. The border villages of Guvecci, Kuyubasi, Hacipasa, Besaslan, Kusakli and Bukulmez are the favoured routes, according to rebel sources.

The joint approach by Turkey and Saudi Arabia graphically illustrates how the interests of the Sunni regional powers are diverging from those of the US in Syria. Washington firmly opposes arming and funding jihadist extremists in Syria’s civil war. It conducted air strikes against al-Nusra positions in Aleppo – claiming the group was plotting terrorist attacks on the West – on the first day of the current bombing campaign against Isis.

There have been complaints from the Saudis that the US, needing the support of Shia Iran against Isis in Iraq, and hopeful of an accord over Iran’s nuclear programme, is becoming less interested in the removal of Tehran’s client regime in Damascus.

Further evidence of dissatisfaction over the US approach among Sunni states came yesterday with the news that King Salman has withdrawn from a summit with Barack Obama at the White House on the Iran nuclear talks this week: he will be represented instead by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Of the six heads of Gulf States invited, only the emirs of Qatar and Kuwait are now due to attend.

Over Syria, the view of Sunni powers is that US action is too little, too late. It has been almost a year since Mr Obama first announced the $500m programme for the training of opposition fighters.

US officials maintained that the long run-up has been largely due to the strenuous vetting procedure for recruits. Several CIA organised “moderate” militias in the past had failed to stand up to the hardline groups and retreated, often abandoning their arms. One of the most notable and, for Washington, embarrassing, instances of this came last year when the Harakat al-Hazm gave up its bases and US funded advanced weaponry to al-Nusra. There have also widespread allegations of human rights abuses by the Western backed groups from local people.
22-Erdogan-Getty.jpg
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman met in March

So far, 400 recruits have been cleared by the Americans to receive light arms training in the current programme. The 90 who will start in training camps in Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are not expected to be combat ready for several months and the Pentagon estimates that it will take three years before a full force of 15,000 can be deployed.

A key sign of rapprochement between Turkey and Saudi Arabia has been over the Muslim Brotherhood. The Saudis welcomed the coup against Mohamed Morsi’s government in Egypt, but the group has been staunchly supported by Turkey since Mr Erdogan came to power. Now, say diplomats and officials, Saudi Arabia has accepted a continued role for the Brotherhood in the Syrian opposition.

Rebel fighters in Syria claim that after Western-sponsored groups lost ground to al-Nusra last year, Washington began to cut off funding for most of the supposedly moderate groups. Harakat al-Hazm, originally the most favoured of these, had its cash funding halved; the rebel Farouq Brigade had all funds cut off.

Abdulatif al-Sabbagh, an officer with Ahrar al-Sham, said: “The Americans backed people who said they were revolutionaries, but these people were corrupt and incompetent... Jaish al-Fatah is successful is because we all fight together. But we are all against Daesh [Isis] just as we are against Bashar. The Americans are bombing Daesh but doing nothing against the regime, that’s why we have got together to fight them.”

Jaish al-Fatah has made recent inroads into regime held territory, capturing Idlib and other towns and villages. Al-Nusra provided over 3,000 fighters for the operation which has put the rebels in a position to launch an offensive against Latakia on the coastal strip.

Separately, Jaish al-Fatah is said to be preparing for an attack on the regime-held part of Aleppo, the country’s largest city.

Syria crisis: Turkey and Saudi Arabia shock Western countries by supporting anti-Assad jihadists
v2-21-Syrian-affiliate-AFP-Getty.jpg



Joint approach by Turkey and Saudi Arabia graphically illustrates how the interests of the Sunni regional powers are diverging from those of the US in Syria


Kim Sengupta
plus.png


Tuesday 12 May 2015


1K
Print
A
A A
Turkey and Saudi Arabia are actively supporting a hardline coalition of Islamist rebels against Bashar al-Assad’s regime that includes al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, in a move that has alarmed Western governments.

The two countries are focusing their backing for the Syrian rebels on the combined Jaish al-Fatah, or the Army of Conquest, a command structure for jihadist groups in Syria that includes Jabhat al-Nusra, an extremist rival to Isis which shares many of its aspirations for a fundamentalist caliphate.

The decision by the two leading allies of the West to back a group in which al-Nusra plays a leading role has alarmed Western governments and is at odds with the US, which is firmly opposed to arming and funding jihadist extremists in Syria’s long-running civil war.

It threatens to trump Washington’s own attempt to train pro-Western opposition fighters, announced by President Barack Obama a year ago but finally launched only last week. The number of fighters involved is small and, crucially, the State Department insists that they would take the field against Isis and not against the regime.

The new joint approach follows an agreement reached in early March when Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the recently crowned Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, diplomats have told The Independent.



In pictures: Syria air strikes
1 of 20
  • air-strikes-1.jpg
Next

Relations had been fraught between the Turkish president and the late King Abdullah, primarily because of Turkey’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Saudi monarchy considers a threat. But Mr Erdogan stressed to Saudi officials that the lack of Western action in Syria, especially the failure to impose a “no-fly zone”, meant that regional powers now needed to come together and take the lead to help the opposition.

The Army of Conquest – which also numbers the extremist groups Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa among its seven members – has a command centre in Idlib, northern Syria. Turkish officials admit giving logistical and intelligence support to the command headquarters. Although they deny giving direct help to al-Nusra, they acknowledge that the group would be beneficiaries.

They also acknowledge links with Ahrar al-Sham, which is held to be extremist by the US, but has fought against Isis, as has al-Nusra in some parts of Syria. Turkish officials claim that bolstering Ahrar al-Sham will weaken the influence of al-Nusra.

Material support – arms and money – have been coming from the Saudis, say rebels and officials, with the Turks facilitating its passage. The border villages of Guvecci, Kuyubasi, Hacipasa, Besaslan, Kusakli and Bukulmez are the favoured routes, according to rebel sources.

The joint approach by Turkey and Saudi Arabia graphically illustrates how the interests of the Sunni regional powers are diverging from those of the US in Syria. Washington firmly opposes arming and funding jihadist extremists in Syria’s civil war. It conducted air strikes against al-Nusra positions in Aleppo – claiming the group was plotting terrorist attacks on the West – on the first day of the current bombing campaign against Isis.

There have been complaints from the Saudis that the US, needing the support of Shia Iran against Isis in Iraq, and hopeful of an accord over Iran’s nuclear programme, is becoming less interested in the removal of Tehran’s client regime in Damascus.

Further evidence of dissatisfaction over the US approach among Sunni states came yesterday with the news that King Salman has withdrawn from a summit with Barack Obama at the White House on the Iran nuclear talks this week: he will be represented instead by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Of the six heads of Gulf States invited, only the emirs of Qatar and Kuwait are now due to attend.

Over Syria, the view of Sunni powers is that US action is too little, too late. It has been almost a year since Mr Obama first announced the $500m programme for the training of opposition fighters.

US officials maintained that the long run-up has been largely due to the strenuous vetting procedure for recruits. Several CIA organised “moderate” militias in the past had failed to stand up to the hardline groups and retreated, often abandoning their arms. One of the most notable and, for Washington, embarrassing, instances of this came last year when the Harakat al-Hazm gave up its bases and US funded advanced weaponry to al-Nusra. There have also widespread allegations of human rights abuses by the Western backed groups from local people.
22-Erdogan-Getty.jpg
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman met in March

So far, 400 recruits have been cleared by the Americans to receive light arms training in the current programme. The 90 who will start in training camps in Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are not expected to be combat ready for several months and the Pentagon estimates that it will take three years before a full force of 15,000 can be deployed.

A key sign of rapprochement between Turkey and Saudi Arabia has been over the Muslim Brotherhood. The Saudis welcomed the coup against Mohamed Morsi’s government in Egypt, but the group has been staunchly supported by Turkey since Mr Erdogan came to power. Now, say diplomats and officials, Saudi Arabia has accepted a continued role for the Brotherhood in the Syrian opposition.

Rebel fighters in Syria claim that after Western-sponsored groups lost ground to al-Nusra last year, Washington began to cut off funding for most of the supposedly moderate groups. Harakat al-Hazm, originally the most favoured of these, had its cash funding halved; the rebel Farouq Brigade had all funds cut off.

Abdulatif al-Sabbagh, an officer with Ahrar al-Sham, said: “The Americans backed people who said they were revolutionaries, but these people were corrupt and incompetent... Jaish al-Fatah is successful is because we all fight together. But we are all against Daesh [Isis] just as we are against Bashar. The Americans are bombing Daesh but doing nothing against the regime, that’s why we have got together to fight them.”

Jaish al-Fatah has made recent inroads into regime held territory, capturing Idlib and other towns and villages. Al-Nusra provided over 3,000 fighters for the operation which has put the rebels in a position to launch an offensive against Latakia on the coastal strip.

Separately, Jaish al-Fatah is said to be preparing for an attack on the regime-held part of Aleppo, the country’s largest city.
 
Hezbollah guy on the left and a Syrian army ranger on the right. Anyone know what gun the ranger has?

10406742_854474887967228_1392173985683987168_n.jpg
 
Syria crisis: Turkey and Saudi Arabia shock Western countries by supporting anti-Assad jihadists
v2-21-Syrian-affiliate-AFP-Getty.jpg



Joint approach by Turkey and Saudi Arabia graphically illustrates how the interests of the Sunni regional powers are diverging from those of the US in Syria


Kim Sengupta
plus.png


Tuesday 12 May 2015



Print
A
A A
Turkey and Saudi Arabia are actively supporting a hardline coalition of Islamist rebels against Bashar al-Assad’s regime that includes al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, in a move that has alarmed Western governments.

The two countries are focusing their backing for the Syrian rebels on the combined Jaish al-Fatah, or the Army of Conquest, a command structure for jihadist groups in Syria that includes Jabhat al-Nusra, an extremist rival to Isis which shares many of its aspirations for a fundamentalist caliphate.

The decision by the two leading allies of the West to back a group in which al-Nusra plays a leading role has alarmed Western governments and is at odds with the US, which is firmly opposed to arming and funding jihadist extremists in Syria’s long-running civil war.

It threatens to trump Washington’s own attempt to train pro-Western opposition fighters, announced by President Barack Obama a year ago but finally launched only last week. The number of fighters involved is small and, crucially, the State Department insists that they would take the field against Isis and not against the regime.

The new joint approach follows an agreement reached in early March when Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the recently crowned Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, diplomats have told The Independent.



In pictures: Syria air strikes
1 of 20
  • air-strikes-1.jpg
Next

Relations had been fraught between the Turkish president and the late King Abdullah, primarily because of Turkey’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Saudi monarchy considers a threat. But Mr Erdogan stressed to Saudi officials that the lack of Western action in Syria, especially the failure to impose a “no-fly zone”, meant that regional powers now needed to come together and take the lead to help the opposition.

The Army of Conquest – which also numbers the extremist groups Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa among its seven members – has a command centre in Idlib, northern Syria. Turkish officials admit giving logistical and intelligence support to the command headquarters. Although they deny giving direct help to al-Nusra, they acknowledge that the group would be beneficiaries.

They also acknowledge links with Ahrar al-Sham, which is held to be extremist by the US, but has fought against Isis, as has al-Nusra in some parts of Syria. Turkish officials claim that bolstering Ahrar al-Sham will weaken the influence of al-Nusra.

Material support – arms and money – have been coming from the Saudis, say rebels and officials, with the Turks facilitating its passage. The border villages of Guvecci, Kuyubasi, Hacipasa, Besaslan, Kusakli and Bukulmez are the favoured routes, according to rebel sources.

The joint approach by Turkey and Saudi Arabia graphically illustrates how the interests of the Sunni regional powers are diverging from those of the US in Syria. Washington firmly opposes arming and funding jihadist extremists in Syria’s civil war. It conducted air strikes against al-Nusra positions in Aleppo – claiming the group was plotting terrorist attacks on the West – on the first day of the current bombing campaign against Isis.

There have been complaints from the Saudis that the US, needing the support of Shia Iran against Isis in Iraq, and hopeful of an accord over Iran’s nuclear programme, is becoming less interested in the removal of Tehran’s client regime in Damascus.

Further evidence of dissatisfaction over the US approach among Sunni states came yesterday with the news that King Salman has withdrawn from a summit with Barack Obama at the White House on the Iran nuclear talks this week: he will be represented instead by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Of the six heads of Gulf States invited, only the emirs of Qatar and Kuwait are now due to attend.

Over Syria, the view of Sunni powers is that US action is too little, too late. It has been almost a year since Mr Obama first announced the $500m programme for the training of opposition fighters.

US officials maintained that the long run-up has been largely due to the strenuous vetting procedure for recruits. Several CIA organised “moderate” militias in the past had failed to stand up to the hardline groups and retreated, often abandoning their arms. One of the most notable and, for Washington, embarrassing, instances of this came last year when the Harakat al-Hazm gave up its bases and US funded advanced weaponry to al-Nusra. There have also widespread allegations of human rights abuses by the Western backed groups from local people.
22-Erdogan-Getty.jpg
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman met in March

So far, 400 recruits have been cleared by the Americans to receive light arms training in the current programme. The 90 who will start in training camps in Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are not expected to be combat ready for several months and the Pentagon estimates that it will take three years before a full force of 15,000 can be deployed.

A key sign of rapprochement between Turkey and Saudi Arabia has been over the Muslim Brotherhood. The Saudis welcomed the coup against Mohamed Morsi’s government in Egypt, but the group has been staunchly supported by Turkey since Mr Erdogan came to power. Now, say diplomats and officials, Saudi Arabia has accepted a continued role for the Brotherhood in the Syrian opposition.

Rebel fighters in Syria claim that after Western-sponsored groups lost ground to al-Nusra last year, Washington began to cut off funding for most of the supposedly moderate groups. Harakat al-Hazm, originally the most favoured of these, had its cash funding halved; the rebel Farouq Brigade had all funds cut off.

Abdulatif al-Sabbagh, an officer with Ahrar al-Sham, said: “The Americans backed people who said they were revolutionaries, but these people were corrupt and incompetent... Jaish al-Fatah is successful is because we all fight together. But we are all against Daesh [Isis] just as we are against Bashar. The Americans are bombing Daesh but doing nothing against the regime, that’s why we have got together to fight them.”

Jaish al-Fatah has made recent inroads into regime held territory, capturing Idlib and other towns and villages. Al-Nusra provided over 3,000 fighters for the operation which has put the rebels in a position to launch an offensive against Latakia on the coastal strip.

Separately, Jaish al-Fatah is said to be preparing for an attack on the regime-held part of Aleppo, the country’s largest city.

Syria crisis: Turkey and Saudi Arabia shock Western countries by supporting anti-Assad jihadists
v2-21-Syrian-affiliate-AFP-Getty.jpg



Joint approach by Turkey and Saudi Arabia graphically illustrates how the interests of the Sunni regional powers are diverging from those of the US in Syria


Kim Sengupta
plus.png


Tuesday 12 May 2015


1K
Print
A
A A
Turkey and Saudi Arabia are actively supporting a hardline coalition of Islamist rebels against Bashar al-Assad’s regime that includes al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, in a move that has alarmed Western governments.

The two countries are focusing their backing for the Syrian rebels on the combined Jaish al-Fatah, or the Army of Conquest, a command structure for jihadist groups in Syria that includes Jabhat al-Nusra, an extremist rival to Isis which shares many of its aspirations for a fundamentalist caliphate.

The decision by the two leading allies of the West to back a group in which al-Nusra plays a leading role has alarmed Western governments and is at odds with the US, which is firmly opposed to arming and funding jihadist extremists in Syria’s long-running civil war.

It threatens to trump Washington’s own attempt to train pro-Western opposition fighters, announced by President Barack Obama a year ago but finally launched only last week. The number of fighters involved is small and, crucially, the State Department insists that they would take the field against Isis and not against the regime.

The new joint approach follows an agreement reached in early March when Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the recently crowned Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, diplomats have told The Independent.



In pictures: Syria air strikes
1 of 20
  • air-strikes-1.jpg
Next

Relations had been fraught between the Turkish president and the late King Abdullah, primarily because of Turkey’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Saudi monarchy considers a threat. But Mr Erdogan stressed to Saudi officials that the lack of Western action in Syria, especially the failure to impose a “no-fly zone”, meant that regional powers now needed to come together and take the lead to help the opposition.

The Army of Conquest – which also numbers the extremist groups Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa among its seven members – has a command centre in Idlib, northern Syria. Turkish officials admit giving logistical and intelligence support to the command headquarters. Although they deny giving direct help to al-Nusra, they acknowledge that the group would be beneficiaries.

They also acknowledge links with Ahrar al-Sham, which is held to be extremist by the US, but has fought against Isis, as has al-Nusra in some parts of Syria. Turkish officials claim that bolstering Ahrar al-Sham will weaken the influence of al-Nusra.

Material support – arms and money – have been coming from the Saudis, say rebels and officials, with the Turks facilitating its passage. The border villages of Guvecci, Kuyubasi, Hacipasa, Besaslan, Kusakli and Bukulmez are the favoured routes, according to rebel sources.

The joint approach by Turkey and Saudi Arabia graphically illustrates how the interests of the Sunni regional powers are diverging from those of the US in Syria. Washington firmly opposes arming and funding jihadist extremists in Syria’s civil war. It conducted air strikes against al-Nusra positions in Aleppo – claiming the group was plotting terrorist attacks on the West – on the first day of the current bombing campaign against Isis.

There have been complaints from the Saudis that the US, needing the support of Shia Iran against Isis in Iraq, and hopeful of an accord over Iran’s nuclear programme, is becoming less interested in the removal of Tehran’s client regime in Damascus.

Further evidence of dissatisfaction over the US approach among Sunni states came yesterday with the news that King Salman has withdrawn from a summit with Barack Obama at the White House on the Iran nuclear talks this week: he will be represented instead by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Of the six heads of Gulf States invited, only the emirs of Qatar and Kuwait are now due to attend.

Over Syria, the view of Sunni powers is that US action is too little, too late. It has been almost a year since Mr Obama first announced the $500m programme for the training of opposition fighters.

US officials maintained that the long run-up has been largely due to the strenuous vetting procedure for recruits. Several CIA organised “moderate” militias in the past had failed to stand up to the hardline groups and retreated, often abandoning their arms. One of the most notable and, for Washington, embarrassing, instances of this came last year when the Harakat al-Hazm gave up its bases and US funded advanced weaponry to al-Nusra. There have also widespread allegations of human rights abuses by the Western backed groups from local people.
22-Erdogan-Getty.jpg
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman met in March

So far, 400 recruits have been cleared by the Americans to receive light arms training in the current programme. The 90 who will start in training camps in Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are not expected to be combat ready for several months and the Pentagon estimates that it will take three years before a full force of 15,000 can be deployed.

A key sign of rapprochement between Turkey and Saudi Arabia has been over the Muslim Brotherhood. The Saudis welcomed the coup against Mohamed Morsi’s government in Egypt, but the group has been staunchly supported by Turkey since Mr Erdogan came to power. Now, say diplomats and officials, Saudi Arabia has accepted a continued role for the Brotherhood in the Syrian opposition.

Rebel fighters in Syria claim that after Western-sponsored groups lost ground to al-Nusra last year, Washington began to cut off funding for most of the supposedly moderate groups. Harakat al-Hazm, originally the most favoured of these, had its cash funding halved; the rebel Farouq Brigade had all funds cut off.

Abdulatif al-Sabbagh, an officer with Ahrar al-Sham, said: “The Americans backed people who said they were revolutionaries, but these people were corrupt and incompetent... Jaish al-Fatah is successful is because we all fight together. But we are all against Daesh [Isis] just as we are against Bashar. The Americans are bombing Daesh but doing nothing against the regime, that’s why we have got together to fight them.”

Jaish al-Fatah has made recent inroads into regime held territory, capturing Idlib and other towns and villages. Al-Nusra provided over 3,000 fighters for the operation which has put the rebels in a position to launch an offensive against Latakia on the coastal strip.

Separately, Jaish al-Fatah is said to be preparing for an attack on the regime-held part of Aleppo, the country’s largest city.
These terrorist regimes have not tasted terrorism, I hope they taste terrorism in their country.
 
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