McCain dismisses study that says Syria rebels are extremists Description: Senator John McCain (R- AZ.)
Senator John McCain (R- AZ.)
Fri Sep 20, 2013 6:4AM GMT
Charles Lister names the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front and the Islamic
State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as the most extreme groups of the
insurgency in Syria which together command an estimated 7,000 to 10,000
fighters, scattered in at least 11 of Syria's 14 governorates.
Senator John McCain (R- AZ.), a staunch advocate of US military strikes on
Syria, dismisses as not true a study that asserts extremists
increasingly make up the opposition in the Arab country.
The study, released this week by defense consultancy IHS Janes, found that
the insurgency fighting against the Syrian government is now dominated by
extremist groups.
Speaking to an audience at The Council on Foreign Relations, McCain stated,
Not true, not true!
Theres about 70 percent still who are Free Syrian Army, said McCain who
has previously met with militant leaders in Syria.
The Janes study found that only around 30 percent of insurgents are not
extremists.
In an article published by the Foreign Policy magazine early in September,
Charles Lister, the studys author, gave his assessment of the militant
groups in Syria.
Groups on the more extreme end of the spectrum, particularly those
affiliated with al Qaeda, have proven remarkably adept at spreading their
military resources across large swathes of territory, joining battles at the
pivotal moment, and exploiting their superior organizational structures to
establish political control and influence over territory.
Lister named the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State in
Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as the most extreme groups of the insurgency in
Syria which together command an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 fighters,
scattered in at least 11 of Syria's 14 governorates.
In addition to this figure, Lister noted, There exist at least 10 smaller
al Qaeda-like militant groups in the north and east of the country, whose
combined strength likely numbers between 2,000 and 3,000 fighters.
At congressional hearings early in September, Secretary of State John Kerry
also said that the armed opposition in Syria has increasingly become more
defined by its moderation, implying that al-Qaeda-affiliated groups no
longer made up the majority of the militants.
The Pentagon has put forth a proposal for training and arming some members
of the insurgency in Syria.
The proposal, which was revealed by two administration officials to CNN,
would increase the role of the US military in the Syrian conflict and would
put American troops in direct contact with militants in the country.
The CIA has been secretly training and arming the militants for months.
HJ/HJ
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