Syria Islamist rebels take control of historic Christian town of Maaloula

[rug]

From Hamdi Alkhshali and Nic Robertson, CNN
updated 6:54 AM EDT, Sun September 8, 2013

(CNN) -- An al Qaeda-linked rebel group has wrested control of the historic Christian town of Maaloula from regime forces, opposition groups said Sunday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the hardline Islamist rebels of the al-Nusra Front seized control Saturday night.

Videos posted on YouTube in recent days showed fighting between rebels and government forces in the tiny sleepy town, an hour's drive from the capital Damascus.

"We cleansed Maaloula from all the Assad dogs and all his thugs," a rebel commander shouts at the camera in a video posted online over the weekend.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/08/world/meast/syria-civil-war/

2:45 video at link.

[Bjorn Against]

1. Don't worry, I am sure John Kerry will continue to assure us the rebels are moderates

[HooptieWagon]

2. Reports are Obama' "moderate" rebels are executing christian civilians.

These are the people he wants to give a NATO bordering country to. It defies all logic.

[FreakinDJ]

3. Religious Cleansing ?

[HooptieWagon]

4. Exactly.

That is the rebel's plan.