Obama's Allies in Syria: Al Qaeda, 'Highwaymen, Kidnappers, and Killers'

Obama's Allies in Syria: Al Qaeda, 'Highwaymen, Kidnappers, and Killers'

on Thu, 5 Sep 2013

On September 5, Al Qaeda-linked Syrian rebels began waging their second day of war against Christians in the village of Maaloula, while The New York Times reported brutalities committed by other rebels against captured Syrian soldiers.

Geneva convention demands do not even enter into the minds of these men, yet they are the same forces Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has demanded the U.S. support and they are those with whom the United States will at least tacitly ally if President Obama launches a strike against Bashar al-Assad's regime.

As the battle in the village of Maaloula became entrenched on September 4, insurgents from Al Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front surrounded a church. Judging from the behavior of other Islamists against Christians, the watching world expected the church to be burned to the ground. Instead, the insurgents retreated for the night and returned on September 5. They now war against the Christians who hold the village. 

Regarding the methods of torture and execution being used against Syrian troops, the NYT says"gangs of highwaymen, kidnappers, and killers" form portions of the rebel forces that are not Al Qaeda affiliated. Their brutality knows no end.

In a video provided by the NYT, seven captured Syrian soldiers were made to lie face-down in front of their rebel captors who swore revenge and then shot the soldiers one at time in the back of the head: their bodies were then collectively pushed into a hole in the ground.

Earlier this week, Secretary of State John Kerry told members of Congress, "I just don't believe that a majority [of rebels] are Al Qaeda and bad guys." Instead, he believes only a quarter of the rebel forces are linked to Al Qaeda or the "bad guys."