Theo Padnos- Journalist's Story Of His Capture, Torture, and Release By Syria's Nusra Front

Theo Padnos is a journalist who has written about his time as a kidnap victim in Syria. It is a detailed account of his capture, torture, and eventual release by the al-Qaeda affiliate Nusra Front. It's a long but harrowing tale, and what we take away from his story is that there are no good guys in Syria. There are no "moderates" in the rebel forces. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) is untrustworthy, after all, on several occasions, they handed him over to the jihdaists Jebhat al-Nusra. And the Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are essentially one and the same.

On the problem between the two jihadist armies, who both have the same goals and penchant for violence, but who are now fighting each other, he writes:

The real issue between the Nusra Front and the Islamic State was that their commanders, former friends from Iraq, were unable to agree on how to share the revenue from the oil fields in eastern Syria that the Nusra Front had conquered. On the one hand, I was pleased by this. It made the men despise each other. Had their armies reconciled, I would have become the prisoner of a reunited fundamentalist organization under the command of the stronger of the leaders, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State. 

On the goals of the Islamists to export jihad to Western nations, and establish Islamic emirates, he writes:

Over the last 22 months, I had stopped being surprised when Nusra Front commanders introduced their 8-year-old sons to me by saying, “He will be a suicide martyr someday, by the will of God.” The children participated in the torture sessions. Around the prisons, they wore large pouches with red wires sticking out of them — apparently suicide belts — and sang their “destroy the Jews, death to America” anthems in the hallways. It would be a mistake to assume that only Syrians are educating their children in this manner. The Nusra Front higher-ups were inviting Westerners to the jihad in Syria not so much because they needed more foot soldiers — they didn’t — but because they want to teach the Westerners to take the struggle into every neighborhood and subway station back home. They want these Westerners to train their 8-year-olds to do the same. Over time, they said, the jihadists would carve mini-Islamic emirates out of the Western countries, as the Islamic State had done in Syria and Iraq. There, Western Muslims would at last live with dignity, under a true Quranic dispensation.

The rest here. Worth a read.

I hope the world is taking note.

UN Paid Al-Nusra Front $25 Million To Release Fijian Peacekeeper Hostages - Video

A video that has surfaced, allegedly filmed by Israeli Channel 2, purportedly shows the release of some U.N. Fijian peacekeepers that had been abducted by Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front) on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.  The al-Qaeda affiliated terrorists had demanded $25 million for the release of 45 peacekeepers, and the U.N. willingly complied- using Qatari money- in spite of a mandate to not "succumb to blackmail."

In the video, it appears that the UNDOF arrived on the scene first, entering from the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. A short time later, the Nusra Front convoy arrives. Then we see what appears to be a Nusra Front official checking his laptop to make sure the money was transferred to their bank account. Then the transfer of hostages begins.

One of the Israeli Channel 2 reporters, from the other side of a border gate, asks in English an "Abu Omar" what he thinks of Israel. He replies, "our goal is peace at the end of the day, with all nations of the world."

Sure, under a global Islamic State.

And they want Israel's help with establishing a no-fly zone.

This is how the terrorists maintain power, they are well funded by fools who pay ransoms.

Video on YouTube here.

No Music At Weddings- Al-Qaeda In Syria Raids Wedding Party

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)- those lovely al-Qaeda types in control of areas of Syria  fighting to establish an Islamic state over there- are continuing to flex their muscles.  Since they believe that music is haram (forbidden) in Islam, they allegedly raided a wedding party somewhere in the outskirts of Aleppo and forced the band to stop playing.

“One leader of the Islamic State warned residents that if a music band is invited to a wedding again, the person responsible will be arrested because this is immoral,” the newspaper reported, citing an internet page of the Syrian Revolution in Menbej.

The al-Qaeda leader reportedly asked the man in charge of the wedding to memorize a verse of the Quran and attend several religious courses at al-Qaeda’s center in Maskana, near Aleppo.

But here's an interesting twist: Some think that what the al-Qaeda extremist groups are doing is just fueling anti-rebel sentiment, and playing into the hands of the Syrian government, so much so that even Ayman al-Zawahiri (head honcho of al-Qaeda) has told ISIL to disband immediately and let al-Nusra Front represent al-Qaeda in Syria. ISIL is the Syrian faction of the Islamic State in Iraq.  ISI will remain intact, according to Zawahiri.

Syrian Rebels Responsible For War Crimes In Latakia- Human Rights Watch- Video

Human Rights Watch (HRW) shows evidence of a massacre and hostage taking (of mostly women and children) in the Alawite region of Latakia by opposition rebel forces, including the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham and Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar  and Jabhat-al-Nusra. More than 190 civilians were killed, mostly adult men, including the paralyzed son (and wife) of an older gentlemen who had fled in the early hours of August 4th. At least 200 are being held hostage.

Could some of those children be the ones that Syrian Christian Nun, Mother Agnes Mariam, believes were killed in the Ghouta chemical attack blamed on Assad's forces?  

HRW considers what happened in the Latakia countryside as war crimes.

43 Islamist Groups Form 'Army of Islam' In Syria

The 'Army of Islam' (Jaysh al-Islam) has formed in Syria. It's an amalgamation of 43 Islamist groups to be headed by Sheikh Muhammad Zahran ibn Abdallah Alloush. 

Apparently, al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham (Free Men of the Levant), and others of the same ilk did not join.

This does not bode well for Syria.

A snippet from the official announcement/ceremony where the 43 groups are named, along with a call for others to join forces.

Video- Students Wear Burqas At Syrian Rebel School

Shariah comes to rebel held regions of Syria.

Apparently, you would never have seen a girl wearing a burqa in Syria, until now. The video shows school girls in a classroom somewhere near Aleppo wearing burqas, not hijabs (headscarves) but burqas.

Very sad.

Syrian Teen Shot Dead By Islamists For Blasphemy

The Syrian people might have had it bad under Bashar al-Assad's regime, but it will be a million times worse under Islamist rule, if and when that happens, especially for non-Muslims. 

According to an anti-Assad human rights organization based out of Britain- the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights- a 15-year-old street vendor, Mohammad Qataam, was brutally murdered as punishment for blasphemy by Al Qaeda-linked extremists. The boy was shot point blank in the face and throat, while his parents begged for his life. I refuse to post the photo. Just too graphic.

Even though the organization is anti-regime, group head Rami Abdulrahman said:

"The observatory cannot ignore these crimes, which only serve the enemies of the revolution and the enemies of humanity."

Apparently, the teen was selling coffee when he got into an argument with someone. He allegedly said,

"Even if the Prophet Mohammad comes down (from heaven), I will not become a believer."

Someone overheard what the kid said and ratted him out to the Islamists, who are now an amalgamation of Jabhat al-Nusra aka the Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq. The rebels then grabbed the boy, kept him overnight, apparently whipped him- since he was found with lash marks on his body- and then dragged him back to his parents.  According to Abdulrahman, who gathered information about the incident from witnesses:

"People gathered around him and a member of the fighting brigade said: 'Generous citizens of Aleppo, disbelieving in God is polytheism and cursing the prophet is a polytheism. Whoever curses even once will be punished like this'."

"He then fired two bullets from an automatic rifle in view of the crowd and in front of the boy's mother and father, and got into a car and left."

It seems the killers might not have been Syrian, but rather foreign fighters.

Ironically, the boy had participated in pro-democracy demonstrations in 2011, and was killed not by the government troops he was protesting, but by rebels who came to allegedly fight for democracy for Syria.

UPDATE:  Slightly different information about how it all went down. The mother has asked the FSA to help track down the boy's killers.

Syrian Islamist Rebels Found With Sarin Gas In Turkey

There have been reports that Assad's forces have chemical weapons, but Syrian Islamist militants with Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front) were caught in southern Turkey with a cylinder of sarin gas and a load of weapons. They had planned on using the sarin in a bomb which was to be set off in Adana, Turkey.

Twelve suspected terrorists were taken into custody by Turkish anti-terror forces, although five were later released.

For more information check out Syria Report, which is updating the post with links to news sources.

That's not to say Bashar al-Assad doesn't also have his dirty hands on some chemical weapons.

There are no heroes in this war.

Salafi Rebels Destroy "Prophet Abraham" Mausoleum In Syria

More Salafi ignorance.

From May 16, 2013: A radical Wahhabi group affiliated with al-Qaeda's Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front) is seen surrounding and then destroying with a bulldozer a historic mausoleum or shrine visited by pilgrims for the prophet Abraham, who supposedly spent some time with his wife Sarah in the town of Ayn al-Arous where the shrine was built. Ayn al-Arous is located south of Tal Abyad in the Raqqa province in northern Syria.

The person filming the scene refers to the shrine as containing heresies and being worshiped besides Allah without specifying who exactly worshiped the edifice.

This practice of destroying tombs and shrines is nothing new for the al-Qaeda Salafis, for they are currently practicing the same type of behavior in Tunisia, Mali, Afghanistan, Somalia, etc.

Video: Who are Jabhat al-Nusra? The Terrorist Opposition In Syria

Some interesting background on Jabhat al-Nusra, one of the terrorist legs of the Syrian opposition. They have been the most barbaric of all. And if they prevail, Syria will turn into an Islamic State.

Some unpleasant content in the video.

Video- Niqab-Clad Female Shariah Police Unit In Aleppo, Syria

It looks like Jabhat Al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group in Syria, has added niqab-clad women to what is possibly a Sharia-enforcing police unit in Aleppo. Except for one woman who is wearing an hijab, the others are wearing full face veils. And fully armed, including handcuffs.

I wonder what that graffiti says.

Video: Jabhat Al-Nusra Militants Brainwash Syrian Kids

This is looking a lot like Palestinian kids.

This is how they create a generation of haters, by brainwashing them at a very young age.

Asking for  Jabhat al-Nusra (designated as a terrorist organization) to stand firm, these little ones also chant:

"Allah is our God, there is no good for the infidels." "Shariah is our only law." "Democracy is disgusting." "The infidels plot to make our religion a heresy, but they are all dogs." :Allah's advice is best, the guidance he gave Mohammed and his followers is the truth, not the understanding (democracy) of the sinners (infidels)."

Check out the little hijab-clad little girl at the end.



Disclaimer: these videos do come from pro-Assad sites.

Video: Militants Jabhat al-Nusra Promise A Caliphate For Syria

Syrian militant terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra fighting Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria calling for the return of the Caliphate (Khilafah).

"...there's no deviation from the Khilafah."  

"The Caliphate of 'there's no God but Allah' shall return!!"

"Khaybar, Khaybar... Oh Jews! The army of Mohammed shall return!"  

"I swear by Allah, no banner shall be raised over Damascus that represents Iran, atheist Syria, or a black turban representing Iranian acceptance, for only the banner of monotheism shall be lifted over Damascus, with Allah's permission. The Caliphate is coming!!"  

The speech is peppered with the typical Takbeer (glorify Allah) and Allahu akbar.

The Dutch Raise Terror Threat Level With Returning Jihadist Fighters

At least 100 Dutch men are fighting as jihadists in Somalia and Afghanistan, but the bulk have joined forces with the Islamist militant group Jabhat Al-Nusra Front in Syria. Al-Nusra wants to turn secular Syria into an Islamic state and has been designated a terror organization by the U.S.

Because of the involvement of these Dutch citizens, the Netherlands has upped the terror threat for the country from "limited" to "substantial".

"The number of those jihadists travelling from the Netherlands to Syria has rapidly increased," the National Counterterrorist and Safety Coordinator (NCTV) said in a statement.

"There is a risk that those who travel for jihad pick up experience in conflict areas and upon return to the Netherlands form a threat because they could come back radicalised, traumatised and willing to commit violence," the government's anti-terror body said.

The threat of an attack against the Netherlands or its overseas interests has grown, prompting the NCTV "to increase the threat level from limited to substantial," it added.

Read the rest here.

The Dutch aren't the only ones frightened about the return of radicalised fighters, so is France and Germany, and I would think England should be just as worried.

Syrians Demonstrate In Support Of Jihadist Group Designated As Terrorists

It's tragic, what's happening in Syria.  A secular albeit dictator-run country with a leader hell-bent on staying in power even if it means massacring his own people is headed down an equally hellish path. The people of Syria, like their Arab Spring brethren, started out fighting for freedom, but what they could potentially end up with (and most likely will), like their Arab Spring brethren, is far worse.

What president Bashar Al Assad has been claiming all along- about battling foreign terrorists and Islamists- has finally come true. I don't believe it was so in the beginning, but in these long 18 months of battle Islamists have joined the fray, and it appears they're now the ones poised to prevail, along with their hardcore Islamic ways.

Already, some rebels and other opponents of Mr Assad have sought to implement their particularly harsh version of Sharia on a small scale, particularly using corporal punishment against suspected criminals and government supporters.

Rebel interrogators in this town, about 20 kilometres from the Turkish border, said they had beaten the legs of detainees with sticks.

Insurgents in nearby Mare' threatened to amputate the hands of alleged thieves and paraded them through town in an effort to publicly shame them, residents said.

In Aleppo, where fierce fighting between insurgents and government forces has raged for weeks, one rebel leader said he had ordered lashings using rubber hoses and knotted ropes.

And according to The National, many of the people, particularly the conservative rural folk, seem to want the change.

Abu Yaqoub, a 26-year-old Muslim cleric in rebel-held Tell Rif'at, believes Sharia would provide the best form of government for Syria in a post-Assad era.

"God willing," Mr Yaqoub replied, when asked if Islamic law should be imposed nationwide.  

Read more about the situation regarding the Islamists in The National.

And to further demonstrate just how influential the Islamists have become, Syrians took to the streets in protest of the Obama administration designating one of the rebel jihadist groups- Jabhat al-Nusra- a terrorist organization. Since they are linked to al-Qaeda, yes, that would make them terrorists, but obviously thousands of Syrians don't seem to care.

The protesters demonstrated under the slogan: "There is no terrorism in Syria except that of Assad."

Protesters in the Eastern Ghuta region, just outside Damascus and which has come under regular air raids by the regime army, held up a sign reading: "Thank you to all the 'terrorists' in Syria who are fighting Assad."

"We are all Al-Nusra Front," it said, in reference to the jihadist group blacklisted by Washington on Tuesday.

Lines of children and men linked arms and carried the three-starred flag of the revolution as they called for downfall of the regime in the street as shopkeepers looked on.

Since  no-one else was helping them while they were being slaughtered, they feel indebted to the Islamists. What they fail to realize is that they will want something in return. In essence what the Syrians are trading is one form of oppression for another.

What an epic fail on the part of the U.N.