Private donations give edge to Islamists in Syria, officials say

Washington Post ^ | September 21, 2013 | By Joby Warrick

[Brad from Tennessee]

GAZIANTEP, Turkey — The stream of U.S. weapons heading to moderate rebel groups in Syria is being offset by a fresh torrent of cash for Islamist extremists, much of it from small networks of Arab donors who see the Syrian conflict as a step toward a broader Islamist uprising across the region, U.S. and Middle Eastern officials say.

The private donors, who use Twitter and other social media to collect millions of dollars from sympathetic Muslims, are providing crucial backing for Islamist militias that appear to be gaining ground in northern and eastern Syria, even as fighting stalls elsewhere, the officials said.

Dollars raised over the Internet are wired between private banking accounts and hand-delivered by courier, often in border towns like this city of 1.4 million, about 20 miles from the Syrian frontier, according to Middle Eastern intelligence officials who monitor the activity. Some fundraising pitches ask for specific pledges to cover the cost of a weapon, for example, or to finance an operation. For $2,400, a donor can pay for the travel, training and arming of a single non-Syrian fighter.

“You can even get a video afterward showing what it was you paid for,” said one senior intelligence official based in the region. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss his country’s intelligence collection. . .

[Gene Eric]

>> The stream of U.S. weapons heading to moderate rebel groups in Syria

“moderate” rebel groups

[MestaMachine]

This is a combined potpurri list. Anyone wanting on or off please advise.

[Corporate Democrat]

The sooner we find a good alternative to oil, the better.

[Venturer]

AlQaeda. Calling the weapons shipments going to moderate rebel groups is an outrageous lie.

There is no such thing as a Moderate Islamic. They are a crazed political cult.

[rrrod]

Beat me to it!!!! THERE ARE NO MODERATE MUSSIES!

[abclily]

Why are U.S. weapons going to rebel groups in Syria? Is the U.S. government sending them? Or are they stolen U.S. weapons?

[abclily]

The U.S. has ALL the oil we need under our own territories. The present government has too many restrictions on pumping our own oil. The present government wants the Muslim Brotherhood to profit from Middle Eastern oil sales. We don’t need alternatives to oil and coal, we just need to use our own oil and coal.

[sport]

Probably a combination of both. The Government is sending some. And the sophisticated one such as anti- aircraft missiles are "stolen" from where they are being kept.

[bgill]

Some walked off from both an ammo warehouse and a munitions warehouse. More is being sent from the billions the usurper has stolen from the US through all his bills, deals and under the table negotiations. Wanna bet that’s one reason we have to keep raising the debt ceiling? Wanna bet that’s why we have a sequester so that our military’s supplies can be rerouted to our enemies? Wanna bet that’s why the government was buying up all that ammo? Wanna bet that’s why we can’t get the truth out of Benghazi? Wanna bet that’s why the government was buying up all that ammo? I still want to know who/why we had an ammo contract with a fake company in Arizona (or was it Arkanasas?). Wanna bet if there’s one fake company then there are many so where/why is our tax dollars being used for.

[Iron Munro]

The Washington Compost has swung into full “Cover Obama’s Ass” mode.

Again.

[danamco]

This is the reason that the Benghazi-Gate is covered up like Fort Knox. It ALL started there by failed gun-running operations, steered by Amb. Stevens, and then cost his own life to sweep the operation under the rug!!!

[Venturer]

Yes. Why the Republicans aren’t pushing this like crazy is a mystery to me. They could have Hillary’s head on a platter and Impeach the Kenyan easily if they would seek the truth.;