US State Department ‘Horrified’ by Executions Committed by Syrian Rebels
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SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Image(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. State Department said it is “horrified” by a published photograph supposedly showing Syrian rebels — the very fighters the Obama administration is seeking to help with possible U.S. military strikes — standing over regime soldiers before executing them.
The photo, and an accompanying video from which it was taken, was published in Thursday’s New York Times and posted online. It has not been verified by the U.S., but the government is still adamant in condemning the actions of the rebels in question.
The video shows armed rebels are shown standing over seven unarmed, shirtless prisoners, whose faces were in the dirt. The bound men sported welts on their backs, all of them waiting as a rebel commander recited a vow of revenge upon the men for having, “neither religion nor morals.” He then fires his pistol into the back of the head of the man under him. At that, his fellow rebels blast the other prisoners with their machine guns at point-blank range.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S. can’t confirm the alleged perpetrators’ affiliations. However, they are in the process of reaching out to opposition officials and seeking more information.
That incident is not an isolated one: YouTube and other websites are full of similar videos recorded by Al Qaeda-linked groups that are a part of the anti-Assad forces.
Psaki also addressed Secretary of State John Kerry’s testimony to lawmakers in which he insisted only 15 to 25 percent of rebel forces are made up of extremists.
“We’ve long expressed as you know, are our deep concerns about violent extremist element of the opposition, and have been clear we’re not going to work with or support them,” she explained, saying the aim is to empower a more moderate force.
As Kerry asks his international counterparts to support America’s decision to attack Syria, Psaki said both Kerry and President Obama are confident in gathering support for a military strike.
“The Secretary is confident, the President is confident that Congress will support this effort — we’ve been building that support over the past several days and the Secretary will continue to play a role in making that case to his former colleagues,” Psaki said. Kerry is set to visit Lithuania, Paris and London on Sept. 6 though 9.
However, many opponents to the military strikes aren’t convinced, because of how U.S. strikes would help these questionable rebel groups. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said Tuesday that President Obama’s plans to strike President Bashir al-Assad’s forces in Syria would turn U.S. warplanes and drones into “Al Qaeda’s Air Force.”
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