ISIS is a Regional Threat That the FSA is Countering

Press Release

Syrian Coalition

Office of the President

17 June 2014

ISIS is posing an increasing threat to a Free Syria. The reality remains that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) has been in constant combat countering this group since 2013 when the FSA declared that this terrorist group was the enemy of the Revolution and the enemy of the Syrian people. Over the past year our forces have had significant success in battle against them in the North, particularly in Aleppo and Idlib.

It is now well-known that the Assad regime is not fighting ISIS in Syria, but allows them to hold the oil resources in the east of the country which allows their wealth and power to grow. At the same time, the FSA is locked in battle with ISIS in this area, trying to retake this ground.

We remind the international community that the Free Syrian Army is under-resourced and underfunded, yet because of their commitment to the freedom of the Syrian people, their complete rejection of extremism and commitment to the creation of a moderate Syria, it opened up this second front to fight terrorism. Now the FSA is fighting the regime at the same time as ISIS, both with scarce resources.

Empowering the moderate FSA in their fight against ISIS is in the interest of the international community. We are fighting these battles for our children’s security, so they may one day live in peace from the tyranny of the Assad regime and from Al Qaeda. Our security is the international community’s security and we continue to look to our friends to help us in this fight.

-------------

Video: Meeting with Supreme Military Council (SMC), President of the Coalition Ahmad Jarba & FSA Chief of Staff, June 10th 2014:

“The SMC calls on sisterly and friendly countries primarily Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, the UAE and Jordan to support active brigades in Deir Ezzor repelling the terrorist group ISIS to unite in facing the terrorist Assad’s gangs and ISIS”