Posted on 04/09/2017 9:35:02 PM PDT by Ray76
Stanford University has a set of very informative web pages containing descriptions of various militant groups. The information is presented as an interactive map showing relationships between groups, leaders, and major battles. There is a wealth of information available.
For example, this screen capture shows a map of the relationships between al Nusra, IS, AQ, and the Free Syrian Army.
The infamous May 2013 photo of John McCain with FSA, al Nusra, and AQ is even more remarkable, given that the relationships were known for a year.
Sep 10, 2014 - As President Obama laid out his “strategy” last night for dealing with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and as bipartisan leadership in Congress pushes to approve as much as $4 billion to arm Syrian “rebels,” it should be noted that the keystone to his anti-Assad policy — the “vetted moderate” Free Syrian Army (FSA) — is now admitting that they, too, are working with the Islamic State. - https://pjmedia.com/blog/vetted-moderate-free-syrian-army-commander-admits-alliance-with-isis-confirms-pj-media-reporting/
Sep 23, 2014 - A claim by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that some of the 600 tons of weapons the U.S. gave Syrian rebels last year ended up in the hands of ISIS is based on the Free Syrian Army’s initial cooperation with a Syrian-backed coalition of Islamic Front fighters. - http://www.wnd.com/2014/09/u-s-weapons-for-fsa-ended-up-with-isis/
This despite receiving arms from the US. There are numerous reports of this. Here are a few:
Where do the arms go?
From a DoD report:
The Salafist, the Muslim Brotherhood, and AQI are the major forces driving the insurgency in Syria.US support of AQ/IS et al is well known and acknowledged.The West, Gulf countries, and Turkey support the opposition; while Russia, China, and Iran support the regime.
Oct 15, 2012 - US Weapons Are Going To Hard-Line Jihadists Fighting To Topple The Syrian Regime
Most of the weapons being sent from Saudi Arabia and Qatar to Syrian rebels are going to hard-line Islamic jihadists as opposed to secular opposition groups that the West wants to strengthen, American officials and Middle Eastern diplomats told David Sanger of the New York Times.
In 2011 the U.S. sold $33.4 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia and $1.7 billion to Qatar as sales tripled to a record high and accounted for nearly 78 percent of all global arms sales.
So although the U.S. is not sending arms directly to rebels, most of the weapons being sent by Saudi Arabia and Qatar were purchased from the U.S. and are being funneled to the opposition by the CIA.
“The opposition groups that are receiving the most of the lethal aid are exactly the ones we don’t want to have it,” one American official familiar with the situation told the New York Times.
http://www.businessinsider.com/us-arming-jihadists-syria-2012-10
Where is the SDF in the chart?
Western nations, and their ignorant Neocons with their cheerleaders, were induced by the Saudi-Turkey-Qatar Islamist alliance, to (a) voice support for the “Syrian opposition”, while they and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood already stood to dominate it [which the U.S. and some in Europe did, even CREATING NGOs and “Syrians in exile” outfits to “speak for the opposition” and help funnel support to the “rebels], (b) set up a “moderate” force, as a P.R. vehicle to help obtain support from western publics, (c) supply arms and training to the “Syrian opposition” which Saudi-Turkey-Qatar knew much of it would fall to the Islamist militias they were DIRECTLY backing.
The west was led into the same pattern the “friendly” Islamist countries played them for in Afghanistan, and they - Suadi-Turkey-Qatar - were seeking the same kind of outcome - an Islamist dominated government in Syria.
Trump should not be fooled.
Trump should not buy the proposal being ginned up for the G7 summit, to demand Russia get out of Syria altogether. The result of that, if Russia did it, would be Damascus would fall to the Islamists. We’d be left trying to decide if we continue to protect the Kurds in northern Syria. It would be better for us, to keep doing what we are doing in northern Syria with the Kurds and let Russia continue to own the situation in Damascus.
SDF is shown as an umbrella group and appears as a gray box. (see the “People Protection Units” and the “Jaysh al-Sanadee” groups, mid 2015)
For more information about it:
* select “Options”
* choose the “Umbrellas” category
* select “Continue”
The SDF box is now selectable, click it for information about this group.
For information about relationships between groups:
* select “Options”
* choose the “Relationships” category
* select “Continue”
The lines connecting groups are now selectable, click a line for information about this relationship.
For information about leaders and attacks:
* select “Options”
* tick the boxes for “Leaders” and/or “Battles” in the “Events” section
* select “Continue”
Icons representing leaders and battles appear on the map, select an icon for further information.
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