Islamist militants destroy Sufi shrine in eastern Syria: activists

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Islamist militants destroy Sufi shrine in eastern Syria: activists

AMMAN | Sun Oct 13, 2013 12:05pm EDT

(Reuters) - A Sufi Muslim shrine was blown up in eastern Syria on Sunday, opposition activists said, blaming al Qaeda-affiliated militants who have joined in the increasingly sectarian civil war.

Militants placed explosives at the shrine of Sheikh Eissa Abdelqader al-Rifaiy in the rebel-held town of Busaira, 45 km (30 miles) east of the provincial capital of Deir al-Zor, and detonated them on Sunday morning, they said.

The activists contacted by Reuters said they suspected al Qaeda-linked fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) were behind the explosion.

"The Islamic State has a base outside the town. The ease by which they got to the shrine indicates that their presence is growing," activist Abu al-Tayyeb al-Deiri said from Deir al-Zor.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/13/us-syria-crisis-shrine-idUSBRE99C06620131013

[Turbineguy]

1. The Tea Party of the Middle East.

[JCMach1]

2. Saudi funded dirtbags...

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. Our Syria policy effectively supports this Al Qaeda affiliate.

We are doing all we can short of actually using US military force ourselves to weaken the Assad regime and bleed Syria. CIA and Pentagon trainers, arms shipments to the rebels. We ARE involved in Syria, and these are our de facto allies. Stupid policy.