Syrian Rebel Commander Says He Collaborated With Israel

Captured Commander Says He Secured Golan Border for Israel

A top commander in the Free Syrian Army (FSA), captured by rival rebel faction Jabhat al-Nusra, has claimed he collaborated with Israel in a “confession video” released by a Shariah court.

In the video, the commander claimed he had accepted a large quantity of light arms as well as Soviet-made anti-tank missiles in return for promising to maintain control over the Golan Heights border and ensuring no other rebel factions approached the frontier.

The commander also claimed that the medical treatment some rebels received in Israel was coordinated through his force and the Israeli military, under a pact in which no rebels would go near the fence without permission.

Israel has not confirmed directly arming any rebel faction, and the accuracy of the video cannot be confirmed. Since it is a confession given while captured, it is possible it was coerced.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.