Syrian rebel whose group is linked to al Qaida visited U.S.

mclatchy dc ^ | May 21, 2016 | Hannah Allam

[Mount Athos]

A senior figure from a Syrian rebel group with links to al Qaida was allowed into the United States for a brief visit, raising questions about how much the Obama administration will compromise in the search for partners in the conflict.

Labib al Nahhas, foreign affairs director for the Islamist fighting group Ahrar al Sham, spent a few days in Washington in December, according to four people with direct knowledge of the trip and who spoke on condition of anonymity.

His previously undisclosed visit is a delicate matter for both sides – the conservative Salafist insurgents risk their credibility with even perceived ties to the United States, and the U.S. government risks looking soft on screenings by allowing entry to a member of an Islamist paramilitary force.

National security analysts say U.S. authorities likely knew of Nahhas’ arrival – intelligence agencies for years have watched his group’s interactions with al Qaida’s Syrian branch, the Nusra Front.

That suggests that authorities granted him entry at a time when U.S. immigration authorities face political pressure to block visitors with even tenuous ties to extremist groups.

U.S. officials have long struggled with how to deal with Ahrar al Sham, one of the largest insurgent armies in Syria.

The group’s ultimate vision is Islamist rule for Syria and its old links to al Qaida are no secret: One of the group’s founders, Abu Khalid al Suri, was memorialized by al Qaida leader Ayman al Zawahiri after his death in a bombing.

Ahrar continues to frustrate the United States and its allies with its operational coordination with al Qaida’s Nusra Front, including a joint attack this month in the Syrian village of Zara that resulted in what human rights group called the massacre of at least 19 civilians from the Alawite minority.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Obama has basically been on the side of al Qaeda through the entire “Arab Spring” military actions which he took. He failed in Egypt but not Libya, and Syria is still in the balance.

[zzwhale]

muslims run the white house
hillary takes money from the OIC via the clinton fraud foundaiton
congress has been purchased and focuses on self enrichment
obama and his family are muslim brotherhood members
obama met with the muslim brotherhood and plotted arab spring and supported the takedown of mubarak and khadaffy..... both of whom were staunch allies in the fight against islamic terrorism. obama will not fully support al sisis who is fighting isis/alqueda in the sinai and shutting tunnels and supply routes via gaza.
obama is a TRAITOR as is hillary.... maybe a pres trump can expose the truth and bring them TO JUSTICE...
OBAMA knew about the benghazi islamic plot for 2 months prior as did hillary and they let it happen.... they knew of sigint and telcons planning and plotting the event... morsi sent at least 2 representatives to benghazi with the plan to kidnap the ambassador and use him as ransom for gitmo detainees and the blind sheik...
obama’s brother is a wanted member of the muslim brotherhood and his entire family are active participants with the house of saud.. the funders of 9/11...

[Psalm 144]

One of McCain’s ‘brave young men, trying to make their country better’?