In the
bloody terror-fueled conflicts that have been waged by the U.S. and
NATO in Libya and Syria, one man has helped to recruit so-called
“freedom fighters” and unleash them on those countries’
innocent civilians. But he has yet to be brought to justice.
by
Steven Sahiounie
Part
2 - Al-Harati recruits poor Syrians to join Western-backed
“revolution”
The al-Qaeda
commanders in the employ of the U.S. and NATO in Libya were typically
referred to as “rebels” and “insurgents.” But they were no
rag-tag Libyans fighting for freedom – they were part of a
well-planned U.S.-NATO regime change project that would act as a test
run for Syria. The Tripoli Brigade did not consist exclusively of
Libyans, with its formation setting the precedent for the use of
international terrorists as U.S.-NATO ground troops in Syria.
In March
2011, the beginning stages of the Syrian uprising were being fomented
in Daraa’a, and Libyan terrorists were again being used as ground
forces to get the ball rolling. Weapons came pouring in from the same
CIA stockpiles used in Libya.
Al-Harati
was tasked with setting up the “Liwa al-Umma Brigade” in northern
Syria. His arms were sent to him directly from Benghazi, with U.S.
Ambassador Chris Stevens ordered to ship out weapons to the Turkish
port of Iskenderun. The weapons were which received by the Turkish
intelligence service and transported directly by truck to northern
Syria.
It was
al-Harati who devised a plan to use a Syrian ethnic group known as
the Turkmen, who live on the country’s northern border with Turkey,
to bolster his group’s ranks. By playing on their radical Wahhabist
ideology and promising them salaries and spoils of war, the
undereducated farmers and their families easily fell in with
al-Harati and the U.S.-NATO regime change agenda in Syria.
Al-Harati
was by now quite experienced in using the assets he had already
acquired – in this case, international jihadists from al-Qaeda who
came from all over the world. Adding local Syrian forces to his group
gave them greater legitimacy as a so-called “rebel” force.
Al-Harati even brought in Western journalists – illegally,
without visas – to report on their efforts to start a “revolution.”
But not
all of the journalists immediately bought al-Harati’s story.
Several seasoned war correspondents who had recently been in Libya
recognized that most of the “freedom fighters,” as well as their
commanding staff, were Libyans. However, the true facts on the ground
did not interfere with their “reporting,” as they recognized that
they would have to follow their respective countries’ official line
and affirm the democratic aspirations of the Syrian “grassroots
revolution.”
Al-Harati
left Syria after setting up a strong fighting force, securing more
Syrians for command positions. One commander was General Selim Idris,
who hosted U.S. Senator John McCain in the Idlib area of Syria.
Senator McCain is also believed to have entered the country
illegally. Upon returning to the U.S., McCain was one of the
strongest voices in Congress regarding the Syrian conflict, urging
the passing of bills to send additional weapons, funds, intelligence
and training to the Free Syrian Army “rebels.”
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