“Moderate” Syrian Rebels Sign Non-Aggression Pact With ISIS; Iraq Defies US

First it was the ‘broad coalition’ that appeared a little narrower than President Obama explained to the world last week. Today, 2 more crucial aspects of the ‘strategy’ appear to be faltering. Despite the promise of $500 million to train “moderate” Syrian terrorist/rebels to fight ISIS, GlobalPost reports Syrian rebels and jihadists from the Islamic State have agreed a non-aggression pact for the first time. Under the deal, “the two parties will respect a truce until a final solution is found and they promise not to attack each other because they consider the principal enemy to be the Nussayri regime.” Not exactly what Obama and Kerry had in mind. But it is John Kerry’s trip to Iraq that appears to have had blowback already as Reuters reports the newly installed US-friendly PM al-Adadi ordered his air force to halt strikes on civilian areas, “even in those towns controlled by ISIS,” just a day after Kerry’s visit (which left Turkey explaining how it would not support US airstrikes either). So far, so good?!
So, to sum up…
First, Germany and UK (and Australia) – the USA’ broad coalition of allies to strike ISIS – will not support airstrikes on ISIS in Syria.
As The WSJ reports, Germany and the U. K. on Thursday ruled out carrying out air strikes on Islamic State militants in Syria, a day after President Barack Obama authorized the start of U. S. air strikes there.
“We haven’t been asked, nor will we do it,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters when asked about German participation in air strikes against the Islamic State, known as ISIL or ISIS, in light of Mr. Obama’s speech.

This post was published at Zero Hedge on 09/13/2014.