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US sanctioned 50 man group to sneak over border into Syria with arms<\/strong><\/p>\n Steve Watson<\/strong> The New York Times reports<\/a> that a 50 man cell of \u201crebels\u201d trained and armed by the CIA and US special forces is to sneak over the border from Jordan into Syria this week to begin fighting government forces there, a move that should prompt concern given that moderate rebel forces are now fully infiltrated by extremist al Qaeda linked terrorists.<\/p>\n The details were revealed in a report detailing a meeting between the president and Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, during which Obama assured them that covert action would be stepped up in an attempt to do more damage to the Syrian army.<\/p>\n Obama told the two that in addition to a limited strike, \u201cwe have a broader strategy that will allow us to upgrade the capabilities of the opposition.\u201d<\/p>\n The Times reports that \u201cthe C.I.A.\u2019s program to arm the rebels would be deliberately limited at first to allow a trial run for American officials to monitor it before ramping up to a larger, more aggressive campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere seems to be emerging from this administration a pretty solid plan to upgrade the opposition,\u201d Graham said after the meeting.<\/p>\n Both Graham and McCain now say they are willing to vote to authorize military action by the US on Syria. During a press conference (full video here<\/a>) McCain stated that a congressional vote against the administration\u2019s request \u201cwould be catastrophic in its consequences\u201d for US credibility internationally.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is all in the details, but I left the meeting feeling better than I felt before about what happens the day after and that the purpose of the attack is going to be a little more robust than I thought,\u201d Graham said.<\/p>\n McCain has been pushing to arm Syrian rebels for some time, saying this week that it is \u201cshameful\u201d that the US had three months ago promised arms for the opposition, and failed to do so.<\/p>\n The Arizona Senator said in an interview that he had strongly urged the president on Monday to provide anti-tank and antiaircraft systems to the opposition and to attack the Syrian Air Force.<\/p>\n Graham added that he hoped the opposition would be given \u201ca chance to speak directly to the American people\u201d to allay fears that rebel forces are dominated by al Qaeda linked extremists.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not trying to replace one dictator, Assad, who has been brutal\u2026 to only have al-Qaeda run Syria,\u201d Graham said.<\/p>\n However, as we have repeatedly pointed out, this is the exact scenario that is unfolding in Syria, according to intelligence sources and military experts.<\/p>\n Elements of the Free Syrian Army have merged with jihadist groups<\/a> that have direct ties to al Qaeda groups<\/a>. For months, video footage of brutal attacks led by such extremists have been surfacing online.<\/p>\n Scores of different Syrian rebel groups are pledging allegiance to the Nusra Front<\/a>, an al-Qaeda affiliate group responsible for killing American troops in Iraq.<\/p>\n The New York Times has reported<\/a> that \u201cMost of the arms shipped at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to supply Syrian rebel groups fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad are going to hard-line Islamic jihadists, and not the more secular opposition groups.\u201d<\/p>\n Military experts and former intelligence officials are on record<\/a> as stating that the Syrian fighters who defected from the Assad military in order to protect civilians and innocent protesters have been almost completely sidelined, with all of the US support and logistics going to the Muslim Brotherhood\/Salafist-led Syrian Military Council <\/a>backed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n These Syrian rebels have been responsible for a plethora of atrocities, from terrorist attacks and massacres, to forcing people to become suicide bombers, to attacks on Christian churches and making children carry out grisly beheadings of unarmed prisoners.<\/p>\n \u201cThe true FSA has not received any of the support from the international community, instead they have been marginalized, even though they are the majority of the support on the ground.\u201d Officials at intelligence gathering group Stand Up America<\/a> have noted, citing sources in contact with FSA Commanders.<\/p>\n Footage of such rebel brigades flying al Qaeda flags<\/a>, praising<\/a> and even singing about Osama Bin Laden<\/a> is legion.<\/p>\n The bottom line is that the CIA, with the blessing of the Obama administration, is once again training and arming extremists that have pledged to kill Americans.<\/p>\n
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