Al-Qaeda, ‘Moderate’ Syrian Rebels Capture Key Southern Town

Despite Nusra Split in North, They Work With US Allies Near Jordan

The Syrian al-Qaeda faction Jabhat al-Nusra has very publicly split with the “moderate” rebel factions in the northwest, with the Idlib Province seeing intense fighting and the rout of the US allies in the face of an al-Qaeda offensive.

That’s only in Idlib, however, as in the far south, in Darra Province, the US-armed rebels are still working hand-in-hand with Nusra, and the two have reportedly seized the important town of Nawa, near the Jordanian border.

The area around the Jordan border is one of the last vestiges of influence for the “moderates,” as fighters trained by the US in Jordan cross into the country and aim to take at least a little territory.

Yet it’s also becoming a significant power-base for Nusra, and as has been seen in the past, any alliance among rebel factions in Syria inevitably leads to arms-sharing, which is to say US-provided arms sharing, and with Nusra shaping up to be a significant US enemy, the arms there are liable to eventually be turned against the US.

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.