(AP-New York Times) The Syrian fighters, trained and funded by Turkey, vowed to kill "pigs" and "infidels," paraded their Kurdish captives in front of cameras and, in one graphic video, fired several rounds into a man lying on the side of a highway with his hands bound behind his back. They are part of the Syrian National Army, the shock troops in Turkey's offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish forces. Many are Arab and Turkmen fighters from northern and eastern Syria who have an ax to grind against the Kurds and a reputation for violence and looting. "The main problem with these forces is their criminality," said Elizabeth Tsurkov, a fellow at the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute. "Hatred of Kurds, a sense of Arab chauvinism, complete intolerance for any dissent, and just a desire to make a profit is what's driving most of the abuses." The Rojava Information Center has identified at least 40 former ISIS militants among the Turkey-backed fighters.
2019-10-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive