These countries are not allies of the United States and should not be treated as such.
“US Defense Intelligence Agency says Turkey, Qatar supported al-Nusra Front,” by Abdullah Bozkurt, Nordic Monitor, December 10, 2019:
Turkey and Qatar likely provided support to Syrian al-Qaeda group Jabhat al-Nusra, or the al-Nusra Front, the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) concluded in 2016.
According to a classified DIA report, a copy of which was seen by Nordic Monitor, it was concluded that the al-Nusra Front “probably received logistical, financial and material assistance from the elements of the Turkish and Qatari governments.” The report, dated June 2, 2016, provided a detailed account of the status of major combatants in Syria with al-Nusra boasting as many as 10,400 fighters due to increased recruitment.
The DIA underlined that al-Nusra maintained a supply of equipment and a robust facilitation network to sustain supplies, ammunition and weapons flows. It drew attention to its cooperation with opposition groups and how it adapted to challenges to participate in key battles against the Syrian regime.
The agency described al-Nusra as “one of the most effective antiregime forces because of its persistence and ability to adapt to the changing operating environment.” It noted that al-Nusra regularly cooperated with other opposition groups, including ones that were party to the Cessation of Hostilities agreement. In February 2016 al-Nusra and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) agreed to a six-month truce in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, highlighting their willingness to cooperate at the tactical level, the report pointed out.
The report was prepared by DIA’s Middle East/Africa Center and Defense Combating Terrorism Center….