Free Syrian Army rebels defect to Islamist group Jabhat al-Nusra

The Guardian ^ | May 9, 2013 | Mona Mahmood and Ian Black

[Kaslin]

The well-resourced organisation, which is linked to al-Qaida, is luring many anti-Assad fighters away, say brigade commanders

Syria's main armed opposition group, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), is losing fighters and capabilities to Jabhat al-Nusra, an Islamist organisation with links to al-Qaida that is emerging as the best-equipped, financed and motivated force fighting Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Evidence of the growing strength of al-Nusra, gathered from Guardian interviews with FSA commanders across Syria, underlines the dilemma for the US, Britain and other governments as they ponder the question of arming anti-Assad rebels.

John Kerry, the US secretary of state, said that if negotiations went ahead between the Syrian government and the opposition – as the US and Russia proposed on Tuesday – "then hopefully [arming the Syrian rebels] would not be necessary".

[Kaslin]

And the liberals want to arm the rebels?

[1010RD]

Let’s see a cowed and contained despot v. aggressive, maniac, Moselm theocrats seeking global armageddon - who will Obama choose?

[Uncle Miltie]

Nothing to see here < / Libyan MANPADS from Benghazi to Al Qaeda >.

Move along!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Kaslin.

• REPORT: US Told Syrian Rebels To Kill Islamic Radicals Before Fighting Assad

  About six months ago, U.S. intelligence officers in Jordan told Syrian rebel commanders that the opposition should fight radical rebel group Jabhat al Nusra before fighting Syria's army, a commander present at the meeting told Phil Sands of The National.

[ScottinVA]

McCain/Graham — “Let’s arm the Syrian insurgency”

Of course... what could go wrong?