Reports are emerging this morning that a battalion of Faylaq al-Sham fighters that had previously been vetted as “moderates” by the U.S. has defected to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, the recently re-branded al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
This is yet one more episode of U.S.-vetted Syrian rebel groups defecting to U.S.-designated terrorist groups in recent years. Just a few weeks ago, I reported here at PJ Media that U.S.-supported Free Syrian Army troops were openly allied with a group the State Department had designated a terrorist organization just one week before.
News of the defection of the Muhammad Rasoolullah Brigade of Faylaq al-Sham operating around Idlib initially appeared on Twitter:
#BREAKING: Muhammad Rasoolullah Brigade in Sarmada, #Idlib have defected from Faylaq al-Sham to #JFS pic.twitter.com/7pdkKHJfu7
— Nasser Rahman (@rah622) October 19, 2016
#Syria: Local Faylaq al-Sham (Ikhwani & US-vetted) battalion in Sarmada, Idlib, defects to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham pic.twitter.com/rlDzwBW0Di
— Aymenn J Al-Tamimi (@ajaltamimi) October 20, 2016
Faylaq al-Sham, backed by Turkey, is currently involved in the push against the Islamic State:
Faylaq al-Sham map showing the advances the rebels made against IS today (in blue), Northern Aleppo. #Syria#Dabiqpic.twitter.com/lWpnKjpoZw
— AliCemilKaya® (@AliCemilKaya_) October 15, 2016
Faylaq al-Sham has its roots in the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, and its member have been branded “Syria’s moderate Islamists.” Undoubtedly, the “experts” will lament this defection as a shock brought about by military necessities on the ground.
But if the so-called “vetted moderate” groups that receive U.S. weapons later turn terrorist, what is the point of the so-called U.S. “vetting” anyway?
The “experts” may also downplay this defection by claiming that Jabhat Fateh al-Sham cut ties with al-Qaeda, but nothing could be further from the truth. All the group did was rebrand — with permission from al-Qaeda.