Syrian archbishop rips US support for Islamic rebels
October 02, 2015
A Syrian bishop has reacted strongly to Senator John McCain’s claim that Russian planes are bombing US-backed rebel forces, saying that McCain’s statement is “a blatant admission” of American involvement with Islamic militants.
Speaking to the Fides news service, Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo said that Russian air strikes were targeted against positions held by Islamic militants. He went on to say that McCain’s statement reflects the “Western propaganda” that the US has been providing support for “moderate rebels, who do not exist.”
The admission of US support for Islamic radicals is disturbing, the archbishop said. “What does it mean? Al Qaida is now a US ally, just because in Syria it has a different name?”
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Posted by: R. Spanier (Catholic Canadian) -
Oct. 05, 2015 11:43 PM ET USA
Thank you for the link to the Fides news story. If only Western leaders would heed the words of Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo to get out of Syria: “the Syrians will decide if and when Assad has to go away, and not the Daesh (ISIL) or the West. And it is certain that if Assad goes away now, Syria will become like Libya.”
