US Raid Kills Syrian Rebel Leader, Highlighting Complexities of Proxy Conflicts
According to family members and Syrian officials, a U.S. raid in October intended to capture an Islamic State group official resulted in the death of Khaled al-Masoud, an undercover operative gathering intelligence on extremists. Al-Masoud had been working for insurgents and later for the interim Syrian government in their fight against IS. The incident highlights the complex political landscape as the United States begins to cooperate with the interim Syrian government, with neither side commenting on al-Masoud’s death. The lack of coordination between the U.S.-led coalition and the Syrian government could have contributed to the tragic outcome, underscoring the need for improved communication to prevent such mistakes in the ongoing efforts to combat IS.
John Q. Hosedrinker