Foreign Affairs
Related: About this forumSyria crisis: Turkey and Saudi Arabia shock Western countries by supporting Anti-Assad jihadists
Turkey and Saudi Arabia are actively supporting a hardline coalition of Islamist rebels against Bashar al-Assads regime that includes al-Qaedas affiliate in Syria, in a move that has alarmed Western governments.
The two countries are focusing their backing for the Syrian rebels on the combined Jaish al-Fatah, or the Army of Conquest, a command structure for jihadist groups in Syria that includes Jabhat al-Nusra, an extremist rival to Isis which shares many of its aspirations for a fundamentalist caliphate.
The decision by the two leading allies of the West to back a group in which al-Nusra plays a leading role has alarmed Western governments and is at odds with the US, which is firmly opposed to arming and funding jihadist extremists in Syrias long-running civil war.
It threatens to trump Washingtons own attempt to train pro-Western opposition fighters, announced by President Barack Obama a year ago but finally launched only last week. The number of fighters involved is small and, crucially, the State Department insists that they would take the field against Isis and not against the regime.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-crisis-turkey-and-saudi-arabia-shock-western-countries-by-supporting-antiassad-jihadists-10242747.html
Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)A Suni Shia war is brewing.
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)Should be a surprise to everyone.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)Then bloviate about ISIS in the interim.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)I notice Kerry is all of a sudden in Russia, and he does not look happy.
Meanwhile Ukraine's creditors are still saying "You get nothing" and various interested parties are saying, "Gee, this may take longer." and Ukraine is working on law to permit foreigners to serve in its military.
Just going swimmingly.