Posts
‘Americans are on our side’: Al-Nusra commander says US arming jihadists via 3rd countries
Still
from Facebook video. © Jürgen Todenhöfer / Facebook
RT,
26
September, 2016
US
weapons are being delivered to Jabhat Al-Nusra by governments that
Washington supports, a militant commander told the German media,
adding that American instructors were in Syria to teach how to use
the new equipment.
“Yes,
the US supports the opposition [in Syria], but not directly. They
support the countries that support us. But we are not yet satisfied
with this support,” Jabhat
al-Nusra unit commander Abu Al Ezz said in an interview with
Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper from the devastated Syrian city of
Aleppo.
According
to the commander, the militants should be receiving
more “sophisticated
weapons” from
their backers to succeed against the Syrian government.
“The
fight is difficult. The regime is strong and gets support from
Russia,”
he explained.
Al
Ezz said that Jabhat Al-Nusra “won
battles thanks to TOW rockets. Due to these rockets, we reached a
balance with the regime. Our tanks came from Libya via Turkey, joined
by the [BM-21] multiple rocket launchers,”
he said.
The
government forces have an advantage because of aircraft and missile
launchers, but “we
have the American-made TOW missiles, and the situation in some areas
is under control,” Al
Ezz added.
He
also said that when Jabhat Al-Nusra was “besieged,
we had officers from Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Israel and America
here… Experts in the use of satellites, rockets, reconnaissance and
thermal security cameras.”
The
journalist asked specifically if the US instructors were really
present among the jihadists’ ranks and Al Ezz replied: “The
Americans are on our side.”
He
also said that Jabhat Al-Nusra has been paid for achieving specific
military goals during the Syrian conflict.
“We
got 500 million Syrian pounds (around $2.3 million) from Saudi
Arabia. To capture the Infantry School in Al Muslimiya years ago we
received 1.5 million Kuwaiti dinars (around $500,000) and Saudi
Arabia's $5 million,” Al
Ezz said.
The
money came from the “governments” of
those states, not private individuals, he said.
“Israel
is now giving us support because Israel is at war with Syria and with
Hezbollah,” Al
Ezz said.
The
West also “paved
the way” for
jihadists coming to Syria, saying that “we
have many fighters from Germany, France, Britain, America, from all
the Western countries,” the
commander said.
‘Al-Nusra using ceasefire to regroup, prepare for new attacks’
In
the interview, he confirmed claims made by Moscow and the Syrian
government that the militants were using the Syrian ceasefire, agreed
by Russia and US on September 9, to prepare for a new offensive.
“We
do not recognize the ceasefire. We will regroup our groups. We will
carry out the next overwhelming attack against the regime in a few
days. We have regrouped our forces in all provinces, including Homs,
Aleppo, Idlib and Hama,” Al
Ezz said.
He
said that Jabhat Al-Nusa would not let trucks with humanitarian aid
enter Aleppo “as
long as the regime [forces] are along the Castello Road, in Al Malah
and in the northern regions.”
“The
regime must withdraw from all the territories, and we will let the
trucks in. If a truck is going in anyway, we will detain the
driver,” he
said.
The
idea of a transitional government in Syria is also not supported by
Jabhat Al-Nusra, the commander said.
“We
accept no one from the Assad regime or of the Free Syrian Army, which
is described as moderate. Our goal is to overthrow the regime, and
establish an Islamic state in accordance with the Islamic Sharia,” he
said.
As
for the people who represent the Syrian opposition at the Geneva
talks, Al Ezz said that “these
people are weak, they’ve got a lot of money. They’ve sold
themselves.”
“There
are mercenaries in Syria, Alloush fights with Al Nusra-Front,”he
said talking about Mohammed Alloush, a leader in the Jaysh al-Islam
group, part of the Syrian opposition’s High Negotiations Committee
(HNC) in the peace talks. “The
group that was housed in Turkey and which was turned into the Free
Syrian Army, used to be part of Al Nusra-Front.”
The
commander openly confirmed that Jabhat Al-Nusra “are
part of Al Qaeda,”
the terrorist network responsible for the 9/11 attacks.
“Actually,
we were inside one group together with the Islamic State (IS,
formerly ISIS/ISIL). But the Islamic State has been used in
accordance with the interests and political purposes of the big
powers like America, and the group has drifted away from our
principles. Most of the IS leaders are working with intelligence
services, and it’s now clear for us. We, the Jabhat Al-Nusra, have
our own way,” Al
Ezz said.
The interview with
Jabhat al-Nusra’s commander was taken at a stone quarry in Aleppo
on September 17 by Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger journalist Jurgen
Todenhofer on his seventh trip to war-torn Syria
Todenhöfer: Interview With Al-Nusra Commander "The Americans stand on our side"
26
September, 2016
This
interview by Jürgen
Todenhöfer was
first published
in German on
September 26 2016 by the Kölner
Stadtanzeiger,
the major newspaper in the Cologne region.
(The interview was copied
and translated to English by Bernhard for educational and academic
purposes.)
Interview
with al-Nusra commander "The Americans stand on our side"
By
Jürgen Todenhöfer
It
was the seventh trip by my son Frederic and me to the civil war
country Syria. We were there for 13 days. Words can only barely
describe the extend of damage and suffering on both sides.
We
conducted the interview ten days ago with a commander of the al-Qaida
branch "Jabhat al-Nusra". Abu al-Ezz reported quite openly
about his financiers Saudi-Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. We were able to
exactly research the identity of the man and know practically
everything about him.
Interview
in the stone quarry in Aleppo
The
interview was arranged by a rebel from Aleppo. I have had contacts to
Syrian rebels for years. It was conducted outside of Aleppo in a
quarry in direct sight- and shooting-distance of Jabhat al-Nusra and
could only be reached safely by a member of al-Nusra.
His
fighters were partially not masked, i.e. easily identifiable. Part of
his statements were nearly verbally confirmed shortly thereafter by a
mufti in Aleppo. Other assertions about the lack of interest of
rebels towards a ceasefire and an international aid-convoy also bore
out. Just like his predictions about planned military activities in
several cities of Syria.
Abu
al-Ezz, commander, says about Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Qaeda): "We
are one part of al-Qaeda. Our principles are: Fighting vice, pureness
and security. Our affairs and our way have changed. Israel, for
example, is now supporting us, because Israel is at war with Syria
and with Hizbullah.
America
also changed its opinion about us. Originally "IS" and us
were one group. But "IS" was used in the interests of big
states like America, for political reasons, and was steered away from
our principles. It became clear to us that most of their leaders work
with secret security services. We, Jabhat al-Nusra, have our own way.
In the past they with us, they were our supporters.
Our
aim is the downfall of the dictatorial regime, the tyrannical regime,
the regime of the apostate. Our aim is the conduct of conquests, like
[the great Arab general] Khaled ibn al-Walid made them. First in the
Arab world and then in Europe."
Part
2 - The Interview by Jürgen Todenhöfer with the rebel commander Abu
al-Ezz
Jürgen
Todenhöfer: How is the relation between you and the United States?
Does the U.S. support the rebels?
Abu
al-Ezz: Yes, the U.S. support the opposition, but not directly. They
support the countries which support us. But we are not yet satisfied
with this support.
They should support us with highly developed
weapons. We have won battles thanks to the "TOW" missiles.
We reached a balance with the regime through these missiles. We
received the tanks from Libya through Turkey. Also the "BMs"
- multiple rocket launchers. The regime excels us only with their
fighter jets, missiles and missile launchers. We captured a share of
its missile launchers and a large share came from abroad. But it is
through the American "TOW" that we have the situation in
some regions under control.
To
whom did the U.S. hand those missiles before they were brought to
you? Were those missiles first given to the Free Syrian Army by the
U.S. and from there to you?
No,
the missiles were give directly to us. They were delivered to a
certain group. When the "road" was closed and we were
besieged we had officers here from Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Israel and the United States.
What
did those officers do?
Experts!
Experts for the use of satellites, missiles, reconnaissance work,
thermal surveillance cameras ...
Were
there also American experts?
Yes,
experts from several countries.
Including
Americans?
Yes.
The Americans are on our side, but not as it should be. For example
we were told: We must capture and conquer "Battalion 47".
Saudi Arabia gave us 500 million Syrian pounds. For taking the
"al-Muslimiya" infantry school years ago we received from
Kuwait 1.5 million Kuwaiti dinar and from Saudi Arabia 5 million U.S.
dollars.
From
the governments or from private persons?
From
the governments.
The
fight is difficult, the regime is strong and it has support from
Russia ...?
We
will fight until the downfall of the regime. We will fight Russia and
the West because the West does not stand on our side. The West only
sends us mujahedin, it facilitates the way of those fighters. Why
doesn't the West support us properly? We have many fighters from
Germany, France, Great Britain, America, from all western countries.
You
have many fighters from Europe in Aleppo with the "al-Nusra
front"?
Many,
many, many!
How
many?
Many.
What
do you think about the ceasefire?
We
do not recognize the ceasefire. We will reposition our groups. We
will undertake in the next, in a few days an overwhelming attack
against the regime.
We have rearranged all our armed forces in all
provinces, in Homs, Aleppo, Idlib and Hama.
You
do not want those 40 trucks with aid supplies to bring those into the
eastern part of Aleppo?
We
have demands. As longs as the regime is positioned along Castello
road, in al-Malah and in the northern areas we will not let those
trucks pass. The regime must retreat from all areas in order for us
to let the trucks pass. If a truck comes in despite that, we will
arrest the driver.
Why
did a few of your groups pull back a kilometer or 500 meters from the
Castello road?
The
regime used highly developed weapons against us. We received a
backlash.
That is why we silently retreated, to recover and to attack
the regime anew. But this attack must lead to the downfall of the
regime.
So
that was a trick, a military tactic?
Yes,
it was a military tactic.
Was
the aim of this tactic to receive food or the reallocation of
fighters?
We
did not agree to the ceasefire.
Does
that hold only for the al-Nusra Front or for all other groups, the
rest of your allies?
The
applies to all our integrated groups, who are our allies.
Islamic
Front, Islamic Army?
They
are all with us. We are all the al-Nusra Front. A groups is created
and calls itself "Islamic Army", or "Fateh al-Sham".
Each group has its own name but their believe is homogeneous. The
general name is al-Nusra Front. One person has, for example, 2,000
fighters. Then het creates from these a new group and calls it "Ahrar
al-Sham". Brothers, who's believe, thoughts and aims are
identical to those of al-Nusra Front.
Is
that your own opinion or also the opinion of higher management
levels?
That
is the general opinion. But if someone comes to you and makes you a
'moderate fighter' and offers you to eat and to drink, will you
accept that or not?
450,000
people were killed in this war. I have been to Aleppo and Homs. Many
parts are destroyed. If the war continues the whole country will be
destroyed. Millions will die. ... In Germany we once had the 'Thirty
Years' War' ...
We
are now only 5 years at war, that is comparatively short!
Would
you accept someone from the Assad-regime within a transitional
government?
We
accept no one from the Assad-regime or from the Free Syrian Army,
which is called moderate. Our aim is the downfall of the regime and
the founding of an Islamic state according to the Islamic sharia.
The
people of Aloush, who traveled to Geneva for negotiations, accepted a
transitional government.
There
are Syrian mercenaries. Aloush fights with the al-Nusra Front. The
groups Turkey houses and from which the Free Syrian Army was created
have earlier been with al-Nusra Front. These people are weak people,
they received a lot of money, they sold themselves. They must follow
the orders of their sponsors.
The
"Islamic Army and the "ISlamic Front" negotiate in
Geneva
Because
their leaders were produced in the West. They are counseled and paid
by western secret services and the secret services of the Gulf states
to fulfill the aims of those countries.
We
are here at the most forward observation point of the Sheik Said
area. This are is under our control. Behind those houses and
al-Majbal are regime soldiers. Our armed forces are 200 meters from
here.
-End-
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.