Members of the Nusra Front, a group in Syria that is affiliated with Al Qaeda, near Aleppo last year. Nusra fighters have kidnapped the leader of a group of American-trained Syrian fighters. Credit Hosam Katan/Reuters
Michael Weiss and Nancy A. Youssef, Daily Beast: Pentagon Turns Its Anti-ISIS Rebels Into Cannon Fodder
Is Washington really trying to train a rebel army in Syria? Or are they just marking fighters for death—and worse?
The Pentagon’s plan to train and equip Syrian rebels to fight ISIS had already devolved into farce, with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter informing Congress this month that a mere 54 had so far graduated from a program meant to produce 5,000 by the end of this year. But now the inevitable has happened: America’s new-minted counterterrorist proxies have been abducted by al Qaeda.
Colonel Nadim al-Hassan and as many as 20 other members of his U.S.-backed “Division 30” faction of Free Syrian Army rebels were kidnapped in the northern Aleppo countryside Thursday. The culprit, apparently, was Jabhat al-Nusra, the official al Qaeda franchise in Syria. A statement put out by Division 30 called for their comrades’ immediate release “to avoid bloodshed between Muslims.”
Jabhat al-Nusra has yet to comment as of Thursday afternoon.
WNU Editor: This is worse than farce.
More News On Reports That Anti-ISIS Rebels Who Have Been Trained By The U.S. Have Been Kidnapped By Al Qaeda In Syria
Abductions Hurt U.S. Bid to Train Anti-ISIS Rebels in Syria -- New York Times
Al Qaeda Kidnaps U.S.-Trained Rebels In Syria -- AP
Syrian conflict: Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front abduct leader of US-backed rebels dealing blow to plans to build moderate opposition to regime -- The Independent
Commander Of US-Trained, Anti-ISIS Force Reportedly Captured -- Daily Caller
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