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Support for jihadists in Syria swells as US backing of rebels falls short
(CS Monitor) – When asked about the role of Islamic jihadists in Syria’s long-burning civil war, an Aleppo hospital doctor recalled what prompted one Syrian to join their ranks.
The man had returned to his house one day to find it destroyed by a bomb, his wife and children among the dead. “Give me one reason why I should not join the jihadists!” the man cried, recalls the doctor. “They will give me my revenge, while all the rest of the world drinks a cup of tea and says, ‘Oh, it’s so sad.’ “
Aleppo has become the crucible of the 20-month rebellion against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. But despite a rising death toll and a shared aim of removing the Syrian leader, US officials have stopped short of giving decisive support to rebel forces, citing fears that weapons and cash would find their way to Islamist fighters – many of them from abroad – with an anti-US agenda who have joined the fight.
Still, as the desperation in Syria mounts, with tens of thousands dead and no end to the conflict in sight, rebel commanders say the American effort to limit rebel capabilities may be spurring exactly what the US hoped to avoid, by extending the war and deepening the influence of Islamist fighters.
Some are Syrians looking for unbridled revenge by joining Islamist units that routinely take on frontline combat. Many others are foreign fighters coming from places as diverse as Chechnya and Iraq, where they often have had past combat experience.
Rebels have received small arms, ammunition, and communications gear from the US and other sources, yet heavier equipment has not arrived, such as surface-to-air missiles.
