Gareth Porter: US Administration Keeps Supporting “Ahrar Al-Sham” Terrorists Despite Their Close Ties with “Jabhat al-Nusra”

OTTAWA, (ST)- American historian and writer Gareth Porter has stressed that the American administration insists to provide all forms of support for “Ahrar al-Sham” terrorist group despite its continuous breaches of the cessation of hostilities agreement in Syria and its close and open ties with the blacklisted “Jabhat al-Nusra”.

In an article published on Wednesday by the “Global Research” website, Porter said “in yet another dangerous US political-diplomatic move in Syria, the Obama administration is going out of its way to protect the interests of al-Qaeda’s closest and most powerful ally in Syria, Ahrar al-Sham.”

 Porter clarified that the American administration keeps trying to promote “Ahrar al-Sham” terrorist group as “moderate opposition” ignoring all the crimes and violations the terrorists of this group have committed and giving no heed to its close ties with internationally blacklisted organizations.

The writer said that last December, the US administration gave a visa to one of “Ahrar al-Sham” leaders to visit the United States. Such a move has “obvious political indications” and it can be classified with the framework of an attempt by Washington and its regional allies, particularly Turkey and Saudi Arabia, to promote this group as a strong partner on ground, he added.

On May 21, the US McClatchy News Service revealed in a story that Labib al-Nahhas, the director of the so-called foreign affairs for “Ahrar al-Sham” terrorist group, visited Washington after the American authorities, in unprecedented move, granted him a visa.

The “Ahrar al-Sham” terrorist group has links with the Turkish and Saudi regimes and it is closely linked to “ISIS” and “Jabhat al-Nusra” terrorist organizations. It have committed horrible massacres and many crimes in several Syrian areas.

Russia had requested the UN Security Council to blacklist “Jaysh al-Islam” and “Ahrar al-Sham” groups, but the bid was rejected by the United States, Britain, France and Ukraine in a move that proves these countries’ intention to carry on their support for the terrorists who are shedding the blood of the Syrians.

Hamda Mustafa