U.S. trained Division 30 declares its loyalty to al-Qaeda branch in Syria

ISR comment: As the U.S. trained Division 30 declares its loyalty to al-Qaeda branch in Syria, its $36 million program initially aimed at moderate Syrian opposition fighters ends up being a training program for future Nusra or ISIL fighters.

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The meagre American foothold in the fight for northern Syria shrank further on Tuesday as Division 30 rejected a US promise to defend the brigade against Jabhat al Nusra with airstrikes. On Friday, US warplanes bombed al Nusra positions after the jihadist group stormed Division 30’s headquarters and killed five of its members.

In its statement, Division 30 denied its "connection to the operations of the coalition against any faction on Syrian lands".

It said "it would not be dragged into any side battle with any faction" and that "it did not and will not fight Jabhat al-Nusra".

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