Free Syrian Army Plans Suicide Attacks on Russians

ISIS Also Urging Jihad Against Russia

by Jason Ditz,

Complaining that Russia is portraying all rebel factions, even the US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), as terrorists, the FSA forces in Hama say they are planning tocarry out suicide bombings against Russian targets, assuming they can find them.

The statement from FSA Captain Rashid al-Hourani said the plan is to “endure the violent aerial bombardment” and then get some people to infiltrate the Syrian military, hoping they can locate the Russians and from there carry out “martyrdom operations” against them.

The plan weakens US protestations that the group is a “moderate” faction that it is appropriate to be throwing advanced weaponry at, but the interest in using suicide attacks reflects the group’s cozy position as an ally of al-Qaeda, who controls much of the territory in nearby Idlib.

That US officials were predicting, almost as soon as Russia started launching airstrikes in Syria, it would lead to terrorist attacks against Russia, may suggest they’d heard some talk to this effect from the FSA, though interestingly it appears not to have slowed their arms shipments.

The FSA isn’t the only one talking up terrorist attacks, as ISIS issued an audio statement today calling for jihadist attacks against both Russia and the US. Much to the chagrin of US officials, ISIS referred to the two as engaged in a “crusader war” against them, while the US is desperate to present their war against ISIS and Russia’s war against ISIS as two totally different things.

http://news.antiwar.com/2015/10/13/free-syrian-army-plans-suicide-attacks-on-russians/