Southern Syria rebels set collision course with al Qaeda

[European Knight]

http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNew...0N511N20150414

to be continue : http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNew...BrandChannel=0

By Tom Perry

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Western-backed fighters in southwestern Syria, the one part of the country where they are still strong, have spoken out against al Qaeda, a move could lead to fighting among of President Bashar al-Assad.

The most powerful opponents of Assad in Syria's civil war are Sunni Muslim jihadists from two groups: the Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS, and al Qaeda's Syria branch, the Nusra Front. Western and Arab countries which oppose both Assad and the jihadists aim to support what Washington calls "moderate" rebels.

Although such Western-backed fighters control comparatively little territory, an alliance known as the Southern Front has an important foothold near the borders with Jordan and Israel. It has seized a border crossing and a government-held town in recent weeks after weathering a government offensive.

Nusra, which has crushed pro-Western rebels in the north, is also active in the south and has sometimes joined Southern Front groups in battle against government forces, making their relationship ambiguous.

But this week, Southern Front groups issued a strong statement condemning Nusra's ideology, rejecting any cooperation with it, and declaring themselves the "sole military force representing the Syrian revolution" in the south.

"It is not a call for war but they will understand it that way, and if they want to fight they will be the losers," said Abu Ghiath al-Shami, spokesman for the Alwiyat Seif al-Sham, one of the Southern Front groups.

With aid funneled via U.S. ally Jordan, the Southern Front groups are stronger than the jihadists in the south, according to several assessments including one provided by a U.S. intelligence official.

"We must announce our clear position: neither the Nusra Front or anything else with this ideology represents us," said Bashar al-Zoubi, head of a rebel group called the Yarmouk Army.

[Profileid]

This actually isn't a bad strategy for Assad.
Al Qaeda vs ISIS v FSA.
They can weaken each other.