Monday, July 30, 2012

Islamic Jihad Takes Over the Resistance in Syria

It's a big story, even bigger with the appeasement-paper-of-record reporting, "As Syrian War Drags On, Jihadists Take Bigger Role":

BEIRUT, Lebanon — As the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s government grinds on with no resolution in sight, Syrians involved in the armed struggle say it is becoming more radicalized: homegrown Muslim jihadists, as well as small groups of fighters from Al Qaeda, are taking a more prominent role and demanding a say in running the resistance.

The past few months have witnessed the emergence of larger, more organized and better armed Syrian militant organizations pushing an agenda based on jihad, the concept that they have a divine mandate to fight. Even less-zealous resistance groups are adopting a pronounced Islamic aura because it attracts more financing.
Keep reading.

And the far left-wing Guardian UK reports as well, "Syria: foreign jihadists could join battle for Aleppo":
Scores of foreign jihadists have crossed into Syria from Turkey in the past two weeks, some of them telling Syrians that they are planning to travel to Aleppo to join a decisive battle against regime troops.

Syrian residents and a Turkish smuggler interviewed by the Guardian say many of the men have come from the Caucasus, while others had arrived from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Gulf Arab states.

According to locals who have dealt with them, the new arrivals embrace a global jihadist worldview that sets them apart from most leaders in the armed Syrian opposition and is stirring deep discontent among the rebel leadership.
This reminds me of Caroline Glick's piece the other day. Frankly, the Obama administration won't resist a Muslim Brotherhood takeover of Syria, so don't expect a big push back against the rising jihadist presence in the country. As Caroline noted:
With Syria's civil war still raging throughout the country, the world media is rife with reports about Syria's Christians fleeing their towns and villages en masse as Islamists from the Syrian opposition target them with death, extortion and kidnapping.
The administration has kowtowed to Russia, while Islamists mount a murderous campaign of ethnic cleansing. And it's not just because of the Obama regime's cluelessness (although there's plenty of that). If the Islamists take over in Syria the administration can claim a hat trick: Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria.

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