SAF Calls on Kerry to Abandon Policy of Possible Dealing with Terrorists in Syria

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Syrian American Forum (SAF) is surprised that our government is entertaining further coordination and possible support of extremists and terrorists in Syria. SAF calls on Secretary of State John Kerry to revise his statement of policy about possible legitimization of groups allied, directly or indirectly, with organizations and personalities the US government listed as terrorist organizations, i.e. "the Islamic Front".

The Secretary of State spoke in Manila about "broaden(ing) the base of moderate opposition", then claimed "that obviously does not include radical Islamists and the worst elements". In one example, as many are available and can be furnished, we would like to draw the Secretary's attention to the following:

• The "Islamic Front" is an alliance of different extremist militias and terrorists, most notorious of which are "Ahrar Alsham" and the "Army of Islam".
• Bluntly, in a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aEoXOfot-k#t=31) the military leader of the "Front" Zahran Alloush, directly admits that he met with leaders of AlNusra Front and fought alongside them, then saying "I have not found any difference between the 'rules' of AlNusra and those of the Army of Islam". Alloush further dismisses the US listing of AlNusra as a terrorist organization. He boasts about the foreign support he is getting from wealthy governments and extremist fundamentalist personalities in the Gulf region who openly brag about their support to sectarian killing and massacring in Syria, all of those countries are very close US allies
• "A senior al Qaeda operative known as Abu Khalid al Suri is a leading figure in Ahrar al Sham, a Syrian extremist group that is part of the recently formed Islamic Front. Al Suri's real name is Mohamed Bahaiah" according to http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/12/aq_courier_rebel_leader_zawahiri.php?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz2nwjI7Uul

"How much worse should it get, Mr. Kerry, before we realize that our policies are only prolonging the killing and destruction in Syria?" asked Dr. Ghias Moussa, Director of Communications of SAF. "Do we have to wait until these terrorists hit us home, here in the USA, before we open our eyes to the fact that we are channeling our efforts and energy in the wrong direction?"

SAF calls on the Administration to abandon this policy that amounts to fueling the crisis in Syria and move instead to promoting dialogue in Syria through the Geneva2 process with the representatives of the Syrian people not of the militias consisting of foreign fighters and financing.

For further info please contact media@syrianamericanforum.org

SOURCE Syrian American Forum