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Subscribe to RSSA group claiming to be Syrian rebels said they took the hostages and will detain them until Syrian president Assad's forces withdraw from their town. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
BEIRUT - Rebels holding 21 U.N. peacekeepers near the Golan Heights in southern Syria say they will not harm them but insist government forces must pull back from the region before they are freed, an activist said on Thursday.
Rami Abdelrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quoted a spokesman for the "Martyrs of Yarmouk" rebel brigade as saying the convoy of Philippine peacekeepers were being held as "guests" in the village of Jamla, about one mile from a ceasefire line with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
"He said they will not be harmed. But the rebels want the Syrian army and tanks to pull back from the area," Abdelrahman said after speaking to the rebel spokesman on Thursday morning.
The capture of the U.N. peacekeepers close to Israeli-held territory was another sign that Syria's conflict, nearing its second anniversary, could spill over to neighboring countries.
Israel has said it will not "stand idle" if violence spreads to the Golan, which it captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
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A look back at the conflict that has overtaken the country.
Suspected Sunni Muslim insurgents killed 48 Syrian troops inside Iraq on Monday and cross-border artillery fired from Syria has killed people in Lebanon and Turkey in recent months.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino said the peacekeepers were being well treated and that the United Nations was in touch with the rebels to ensure their safety. "By tomorrow they expect all of these 21 to be released," he said, adding their release might occur as early as Thursday.
Aquino said both sides in the Syrian conflict considered the United Nations a "benign presence" in the country - a view not shared by many Syrian rebels, who hold the organisation at least partly responsible for a lack of international support.
In a video released to announce the capture of the U.N. convoy on Wednesday, a member of the Yarmouk Martyrs' Brigade accused the peacekeepers of collaborating with Assad's forces to try to push them out of village of Jamla which the rebels seized on Sunday after heavy fighting.
Peacekeepers of the U.N. Disengagement Force (UNDOF) mission have been monitoring a ceasefire line between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, for nearly four decades.
NBC News
People resisting the army of President Bashar al-Assad in northern Syria cope with loss and prepare for fighting.
Related:
'Human river' of Syria refugees hits 1 million; UK to send armored vehicles to rebels
Analysis: Can aid without weapons help resolve Syria crisis?
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
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LOL....bet your ass on that activist words.
At least the Iranians called them hostages and not "guests" when they held the US Embassy for over a year. This shows the rebels are not a good replacement for Assad and our fine John Kerry just gave them 60 million dollars. Our involvement in all these conficts have become the demise of America........
Are these the same rebels that Kerry sent millions of dollars?
Yep. And I fixed it for you, too.
But don't worry. Kerry says he's "very confident" that our aid will be going to help the right terrorists.......ahem........excuse me........*cough*.....sorry about that- REBELS. So all is hunky dorey. I mean, with Kerry at the helm, NOTHING can possibly go wrong. So pipe down. You're bellyaching for nothing.
/sarc off.
HOTTICKET: Kerry's Saudi Arabian visit was a low key affair unlike the visits of Turkey and Egypt.
Kerry takes orders from House of Saud and gives our tax monies to whomever they direct.
Are the monies of oil rich Sunni rulers of House of Saud, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and other Sunni Arab League nations only reserved for funding their Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques, hate preaching and killer training centers and their killer gangs like al Qaida, MB, Boko Horam, Taliban, Salaffi and other label ones?
Nailed it, my friend. And Kerry, along with the rest of those in Washington, are hors for the Saudi Sunni thugs.
The house of Saud has been funding terror for quite some time. Lest people forget - Osama bin laden was one of the Saudi Royals.
Please, its aid not money! Although if it was up to the Republicans it would be arms not aid. I doubt they are buying weapons with food and Band-Aids. Get a grip people. We know these people are not all Syrians but Democrats need to do something to keep Republicans from claiming Democrats are doing nothing. If you're so worried about the UN Peace keepers have Senator McCain go talk to them.
Wow confussed, how naive. Hey, my grandpappy left me some land in Florida and I have been trying to sell it. Drain it real good and swish out some of the gators and it would make a fine homestead for you and the misses for retirement. Only $995 per acre. Come git it.......
Confused,,,,,,,,,, really? What dont you understand? Let me explain in a way that makes it easier. If we send them ANYTHING , it will be used to further a war effort & muslim brotherhood & hamas & hizbolah will benefit. You see , if i give food to a crack addict mother , she will then sell her food stamp card to get money to buy crack . Same truck but different driver . We should stay out of any & all civil unrest in middle east. There is but 1 stable govt that is democratic in the middle east & obama will visit there in a cpl weeks to mess that up.
Yup,.....right on.
PJ: British invented Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, fountainheads of Islamic extremism and 80 percent of world problems including economic ones.
US, British, France, Germany and some western nations have kept them on the map.
For the US and allies interests, these ungrateful backstabbers have done maximum damages including popularity in return.
Actually, if it was up to Republicans, NOTHING would be going to them. They'd be labelled as terrorists and treated as such. It's you bleeding-heart liberals calling them "freedom fighters" and "rebels" instead of what they really are.
Since Obama was funneling machine guns and explosives and man portable anti aircraft rockets out of Libyan captured ammo dumps and got the ambassador killed I await the downing of US passenger aircraft by these peace loving Muslims.. Yet he thinks Americans can not be trusted with semi auto weapons.. Almost forgot about him and Holder passing thousands of weapons to Mexican criminals..
Was he? Were you there? Come on Sherlock, do tell how you get this info!! You're just another retard flapping his gums about our half-breed Prez, get over it d!ckwad, he's in charge!!!
@Jonathan - agree. But that's the nature of the beast. If you play with fire then expect to get fingers burnt at some point of time. The British and American leaders played with the fire knowingly to achieve what they thought were their strategic objectives viz. energy.
Now after 911, there is a very welcome change in energy strategy where the US is fast moving towards energy independence using natural gas. The distribution problems remain. But I am sure Americans will solve it. I think that will be good for America and good for the world. This will be one silent achievement of Obama administration.
PJ: It is not going to be easy.
It will be long battles between Muslim extremists and non-Muslims. It may extend up to decades.
Once you take people backward and that too with Islamic religious brain wash, it takes huge efforts to clean the mess.
Obama and his administration is just a few dots in the battles.
I agree that there is a religious front here. But that needs to be deal with the way western Europe dealt with catholism i.e. through advancement of science as well as social progress (freedom equality democracy). However, energy (or insecurity around there) is a big fuel for war. If America which is 25% consumer of oil switches to another fuel (ie natural gas) over next 10 years, that just takes away one key reason behind all this madness. Then one doesn't need to have bases in gulf countries which is the primary reason behind all the terrorism.
Seeing as the Rebels are seen as a good thing. This doesn't make sense that they'd be holding UN troops.
Bad play by the rebs. If they harm any of them, they'll be bombed into next year.
U S has been cautious with arms giving. They got bit too many times. Old saying "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." Now rebels in Syria are not only biting USA but getting fat and sassy with the UN. Almost comic relief. You see why I personally am against any aide up to and including medical, innoculations etc. If the world was busy taking care of their populations, not including genocide, there would be no time to fight a war. BTW for you Saud bashers.... they do not have nuclear weapons to threaten the world. They have the money to buy them but do not posess them or WANT TO.
I wouldn't consider myself a guest, if I were being held at gunpoint against my wishs.
Britain should kick out that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a front for Sunni haters and killers.
What "human rights" do the seventh century Sunnis know?
All big words like human rights, women rights, democratic rights, religious rights and so on should start from the their pay masters and bosses, oil rich Sunni rulers of House of Saud, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and other Sunni Arab League nations.
"many Syrian rebels, who hold the organisation at least partly responsible for a lack of international support."
These Sunni Syrian rebels are supported by oil rich Sunni Islamic rulers and their Sunni killing wings like al Qaida, MB, Salaffi and other label ones.
How any sane can support Sunni Islamic intolerant Nazis?
If Assad is overthrown, these Sunni Islamic haters and killers will make the lives of sane Muslims, females, minority sect/tribe Muslims and non Muslims like Christians miserable!
We have no roles in Shiites vs Sunnis Allah's battles.
These ungrateful Islamic backstabbers will repeat Libya after they remove Assad!
the rebels are now between a rock and a hard place. they have no leverage whatsoever but they figured they got to try something, even as stupid as kidnapping UN folks. Assad also dont have nodoby's backing but his own pocket, but it's a deep pocket indeed. the international community's play right now is to let both parties bleed dry and praying it would be the rebels that are last standing, but that scenario grows extremely unlikely now.
Assad has the backing of Hezbollah and Iran. That is why he hasn't been toppled already. Iran views him as an important ally. You can be sure that Iranian special forces are there hunting down rebels.
Yes, the rebels apparently are assuming that ASSad gives a $#!+ about the peacekeepers. I'd type an Lol but it's really not a funny situation for the peacekeepers, THEY are now between a rock and a hardhead.
Syria rebels ceased peacekeepers as hostages. So what is unusual here? That is not the first time these people are doing something like that. On the video below, for example, Syria rebels are shooting on to a passenger airliner that is going for landing in Damascus airport:
#t=2s
I guess also trying not to hurt the people on board.
I see video URL got truncated. I guess can't post it here. Going to try one more time.
#t=2s
Nothing like being a "guest" against your will for sure.
Look at the Sunni intolerant Syrian rebel with his gun!
Do they deserve support of sane people of the world?
I propose an immediate cessation of any and all support for the "rebels" until the UN personnel are released and a 60 day continuance of no funding as a punitive measure. This is unacceptable behavior on their part and must be met with a strong response.
Huge strategic blunder for the rebels.
Welcome to the hotel California! such a lovely place
They have crossed the line now, no going back. If they had any sympathy, it's probably gone now.
Here is a question for you all. Britain sends armored carriers. We, the USA, send medical supplies. If the rebels win do we know what their politics are going to be? Think about it. It matters in the long run when we get involved.
Doesn't really matter how much money we throw at them. We will always be seen as the "Great Satan".
You are right.
UN is pulling the UNDOF out from Golan Heights- latest. Seems to be the shades of 1956 when UN pulled the peacekeepers out of Sinai.
For those who would still like to see the video put all the words in URL together:
http : // www . youtube . com / watch ? feature = player — embedded & v = r PD - YK mgi Q w # t = 2s
No wonder we just gave them millions! To ensure the safety of the UN clowns. We don't negotiate with terrorists! LOL, we just buy them!
Are you that ignorant people to paint with one brush everyone the same origin. How ignorant you make our country sound. Good thing here in America we arent all painted the same way. First learn to read the whole dam article. Rebels in a town called jamla. Looks to me that these men are young and as young men will do certain extremes to help their cause of less blood shed. Let us see what you would do if you found your home being turned into a war zone. If they are not harmed or beaten but just kept and feed then perhaps it is a learning lesson for the U.N. who have been known for double dealing in the past.
Please people take the word "politics" out of your vocabulary. It is a recent made up word to try and justify not being human to your fellow man. It has no bearing in our constitution and def has no bearing in the real word. If you really think about it Politics is the main reason why we have so much blood shed. It is the lack of compassion and the facts of ignorance which breed "politics".
And yet, you are still here, enjoying the freedom to make this comment. If you want people to read your remarks, the last thing you should do is begin you post with calling them ignorant. You make some good points, but I nearly stopped reading after the first two sentences.
If you think there is any excuse for people to be held against their will you are as brain dead as the rest who wish to support these terrorists. They are no different than the muslim brotherhood, al qaeda, taliban, or any of the rest of the muslim terrorist organizations. I hope Assad never surrenders & at the end of this war there are no survivors from either side. They are a blight on humanity & the sooner they are removed from the earth the better for the rest of humanity.
The Administration just gave these people $60 Million...they should be able to keep the "Guests" rather comfy...
Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim, Rebels, Army, Insurgents, Radical Muslim...I need a chart to try and figure out who is fighting who...
Guests or forced guests? Prisoner seems more accurate.
So were they lieing yesterday or now? ? ? IF their muslem, THAT should tell you.
Maybe Kerry didn't promise them enough money.
So glad we invested our $60 million in them. How long before they start smashing planes into buildings over here?
People who hold non combatants as prisoners to force their will on others are terrorists. Terrorists by any other name [rebels] are still terrorists. No terrorists who are identified should be allowed to live. When they finish killing each other they will turn on whoever will not bow to their will. It will be those who assist these terrorists in their goals that will be defending themselves from them when they finish in Syria.
Kerry may have given the money, but his orders come from Obongo.
So the peace loving, all we want is democracy Rebels have taken United Nations personnel captive?
Pay attention folks, Assad is looking better everyday than compared to these Islamofascist wackos who hate Jews and Christians.
Obama, look at Egypt (sending F-16s and M-1 tanks) and all those other crap hole places you gave aid (tax payer $$$ money) to...............did not work out for democracy and peace. Or maybe that is not the plan because you want a big war in the middle east. You, Michelle, your children and all your supporters can go fight that war.
I thought we didnt fund terrorist, So the government is playing words, Do you know that the goverenment is now labeling any miltia state side as terrorist. check it out and you will see that it is so. So I agree rebels are terrorist too.