Daily chart: Who’s who in Syria’s battlefield | The Economist
▻http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/05/daily-chart-12
Who’s who in Syria’s battlefield
May 17th 2013, 14:03 by Economist.com
A guide to the key rebel forces in Syria
AS THE civil war in Syria has dragged on, the rebels have become more Islamist and extreme. For Western governments pondering whether to arm them, Jabhat al-Nusra (Victory Front) is the biggest worry. Its global jihadist ideology justifies violence to bring about a nation where all Muslims unite. It enjoys murky sources of private funding, including regular payments from al-Qaeda in Iraq. Ahrar al-Sham has more local aims, but its comrades are also vehemently Islamist.