By Jaime Ortega.
Alarmed by the rise of Islamic extremists and the chaos of the opposition , the U.S. and UK have decided to suspend all aid to groups fighting the Assad regime in northern Syria. Donors step back for the recent kidnaps and fighting between the guerrillas.
President Barack Obama has always been skeptical about the divided and often brutal opposition to Assad and against the criterion of his security team , that has resisted arming rebel groups. But since spring U.S. had doubled its assistance (up $ 250 million , about 182 million Euros at current exchange rates ) and donated military hardware protection to the rebels.
Any such assistance , which includes food and medicine , is now frozen in northern Syria , the area controlled by the opposition and where the more moderate group called Free Syrian Army , is losing ground to more radical opponents.
The Islamic Front , which aims to establish a theocracy in Syria has failed to neutralize the warehouse base with close pitch to weapons called Bab al- Hawa located between Syria and Turkey where it enters international aid, as confirmed by the U.S. Department of State . The Free Syrian Army is also facing groups claiming to represent Al Qaeda , and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) , whose members are believed to have kidnapped journalist.
More than 30 journalists have disappeared in Syria , including 20 foreigners.
A human rights lawyer was kidnapped Tuesday with her husband and two other activists to the Damascus suburbs. Razan Zeitouneh was one of the first leaders of the opposition (and one of the few women), that documented abuses by extremist groups . His captors , masked men have not yet been identified, but it is feared that the group belong to extremist dedicated to punish those who do not share their ideas.
The U.S. State Department says it is ” concerned” about the kidnapping of the lawyer in a zone controlled by Islamic extremists and says it has no information about her ” whereabouts ” . Last week, a group close to Al Qaeda assassinated the Iraqi journalist Yasser Faisal for reporting and critiquing extremist behavior.
In this context , the U.S. cannot trust even the most pro -Western opposition because it fears that the military equipment will lead into the hands of murderous anti- Western extremists .
The State Department is still trying to figure out what exactly happened at the headquarters of the opposition and in their stores in northern Syria and if it is true that moderate fled before the assault of radical last Friday. U.S. says it does not know if the extremists have got weapons , whether or not his.
” We are very concerned ,” said on Wednesday the State Department spokesman , Jen Psaki , at a press conference . He also indicated that the State Department is working with the moderate opposition to check the ” inventory “and the resources sent by the United States and other countries to moderate groups . Still, the Obama administration says they’re ” supporting ” the opposition.
UK also announced Wednesday that it will not send more aid while the moderate opposition do not control the area. Both the British and the Americans do not send weapons, but only means of protection, such as bulletproof vests , radios and radars. But do not want anything that is used by extremists.
“We have no plans to provide any equipment while the situation remains so unclear . We will monitor the matter closely ,” said a spokesman for the British Embassy in Ankara.
United States does not want to suggest when or if he will send assistance to the opposition in the area.
Humanitarian aid to civilians has not been interrupted and continues to be distributed through the United Nations and NGOs. United States also continues to send military aid to other parts of Syria. ” It is in our interest,” said Psaki the spokesman .
