"Freelance Jihadists" join Libyan rebels

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/29/1000-freelance-jihadists-join-libyan-rebels/#

From the article;

"......A former leader of Libya's al Qaeda affiliate says he thinks "freelance jihadists" have joined the rebel forces, as NATO's commander told Congress on Tuesday that intelligence indicates some al Qaeda and Hezbollah terrorists are fighting Col. Moammar Gadhafi's forces.

Former jihadist Noman Benotman, who renounced his al Qaeda affiliation in 2000, said in an interview that he estimates 1,000 jihadists are in Libya.

On Capitol Hill, Adm. James Stavridis, the NATO commander, when asked about the presence of al Qaeda terrorists among the rebels, said the leadership of the opposition is made up of "responsible men and women."

"We have seen flickers in the intelligence of potential al Qaeda, Hezbollah," the four-star admiral said. "We've seen different things. But at this point, I don't have detail sufficient to say that there's a significant al Qaeda presence, or any other terrorist presence, in and among these folks."

The military is continuing to "look at that very closely," he said, because "it's part of doing due diligence as we move forward on any kind of relationship" with the opposition.

Outside observers generally estimate the number of trained Libyan fighters to be about 1,000.

Concern over the makeup of opposition forces surfaced Tuesday as representatives from 40 governments and international organizations met in London and stepped up efforts to oust the Gadhafi regime and prepared for a hoped-for transition to a democratic state.

Concern over the makeup of opposition forces surfaced Tuesday as representatives from 40 governments and international organizations met in London and stepped up efforts to oust the Gadhafi regime and prepared for a hoped-for transition to a democratic state.

(article continues)

"Concern over the makeup of the opposition forces surfaced TUESDAY????"

Dear Lord, these people are either stupid beyond belief, or are arrogant in their belief that we are.

Al Qaeda and Hezbollah?

So, Iran's hand is being revealed in this.................?

Go figure.

T.W.