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Private Donations Give Edge to Islamists in Syria
(Washington Post) Joby Warrick - The stream of U.S. weapons heading to moderate rebel groups in Syria is being offset by a fresh torrent of cash for Islamist extremists, much of it from small networks of Arab donors who see the Syrian conflict as a step toward a broader Islamist uprising across the region, U.S. and Middle Eastern officials say. The private donors are providing crucial backing for Islamist militias that appear to be gaining ground in northern and eastern Syria. The flow of private cash has enabled the extremists to retain their battlefield edge despite the loss of support from Qatar, which cut off aid to the most radical groups under pressure from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.