By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 30 -- When Khaled Khoja, as new president of the Syrian National Coalition, held a UN press conference on April 29, Inner City Press asked him about the Free Syrian Army working with Jabhat al Nusra, and the UN reports that the FSA has recruited and used child soldiers.
Here is the video; below is Inner City Press' transcription:
Inner City Press: There’s a lot of talk about how some of the military advances have been because of either a link-up with, or due to fighting by al Nusra and other listed terrorist groups. What are the relations, if any, between the Free Syrian Army and al Nusra? And also, earlier the UN special advisor on children and armed conflict said that in the Free Syrian Army there were issues of child soldier recruiting. Are you aware of any steps taken to address that?
Khoja: The role of al Nusra in Idlib is being exaggerated. Maybe 10 percent of the forces were from al Nusra forces in Idlib. But they have good propaganda. Some of the media, including the media of regime, are exaggerating the role of al Nusra. Not only in Idlib. Everywhere.
Khoja: The role of al Nusra in Idlib is being exaggerated. Maybe 10 percent of the forces were from al Nusra forces in Idlib. But they have good propaganda. Some of the media, including the media of regime, are exaggerating the role of al Nusra. Not only in Idlib. Everywhere.
But sometimes, the Free Syrian Army has no chance, when the Free Syrian Army is battling against the regime. Fighting against the regime, has no chance to fight on different fronts. Sometimes they are fighting on different fronts, against ISIL, against the regime, and sometimes against Jabhat al Nusra, as it happened in the southern area. Sometimes in war time Damascus.
So, Free Syrian Army sometimes made tactical alliance with some different forces, including al Nusra in Idlib. But we have seen now that al Nusra is not that big force in Idlib.. Sham, the first division, and Sham division in Idlib, created a civil governance, there, and al Nusra could not oppose this governance.
Now we have a lot of challenges, because more than 400,000 people were living in Idlib, and I don’t think that even the civil governance could handle this situation. As a coalition we have our interim government helping the forces to provide services, in cluding health care and education and other infrastructure, but it’s a big challenge to continue managing the situation under the barrel bombs.
So, the question on FSA child soldiers was not answered. Khoja said that the US train and equip program for now does not benefit the FSA.
Back on April 24 when the UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura came to the UN Security Council stakeout, Inner City Press asked him if the Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen changed any of the dynamics on Syria.
In reply, de Mistura told Inner City Press that "everything in the region these days is connected." He added that he is focused on Syria.
Inner City Press also asked de Mistura about criticism made by his former adviser Mouin Rabbani on Qatar's Al Jazeera TV, that Mistura is out of his depth and not up for the task.
De Mistura replied, I will not respond, you would do the same, if one of your ex-colleagues...
Inner City Press asked the question because it hadn't been asked, tellingly. Now Inner City Press has heard more; watch this site 