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U.S.-Backed Syrian Rebel Group on Verge of Collapse

(Stars and Stripes) Slobodan Lekic - The main Western-backed Arab rebel group in Syria - the Free Syrian Army (FSA) with an estimated 35,000 fighters, some of whose members are trained by the CIA - appears on the verge of collapse because of low morale, desertions, and distrust of its leaders by the rank and file, threatening U.S. efforts to put together a ground force capable of defeating the Islamic State and negotiating an end to the Syrian civil war. Among other problems, FSA fighters are losing faith in their own leaders. "They regularly steal our salaries," said Jaseen Salabeh, a volunteer in the Free Syrian Army, who came to Jordan after being wounded in battle. "We're supposed to get $400 a month, but we only actually receive $100." He also complained of lack of support for those killed or wounded in battle. Fighters who lost legs in the fighting were reduced to begging. As a result, many FSA men in southern Syria were leaving for Jordan or joining the 15,000-strong Nusra Front, which reportedly pays its fighters $1,000 a month and cares for its wounded members and for the families of those killed in combat. "Nusra is winning the hearts and minds of the people, and positioning themselves as moderates despite their al-Qaeda links," said Elias Hanna, a former Lebanese general and professor of geopolitics at the American University of Beirut.
2015-12-15 00:00:00
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