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American woman killed in Syria
Syrian state-run television reported Thursday that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad killed three Westerners, including an American woman and a British citizen, who it claims were fighting with the rebels and were found with weapons.Syrian TV identified the woman, releasing what it claimed were images of her Michigan driver's license and U.S. passport. It also released what is said was the name and passport of a British citizen. It did not identify a third person who it claimed was a Westerner. The report said the three were ambushed in their car in the flashpoint province of Idlib in northwestern Syria, where government forces have been battling rebels for control. TV footage showed a bullet-riddled car and three bodies laid out. It also showed weapons, a computer, a hand-drawn map of a government military facility and a flag belonging to the al Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front. The United States is aware of the claim that an American woman was killed and is working through the Czech Republic mission in Syria to obtain more information, [said] a State Department official. Citing privacy concerns, "we are unable to comment further," the official said. A family member of the American woman told CNN on Thursday she was informed by the FBI about the death. The family member said the FBI did not provide any details about how the woman died.
Eric Harroun, 30, of Phoenix, was arrested by the FBI after returning to the United States from Syria, where authorities allege he fought with the militant group. He was charged with the alleged use of a rocket-propelled grenade. The organization he allegedly fought with, al-Nusra Front, is linked to al Qaeda in Iraq. An FBI affidavit says Harroun crossed into Syria in January 2013 and fought against al-Assad's forces. He posted photos and videos of himself on the Internet handling RPGs and other weapons, it said. Posted by: Steve White 2013-05-31 |
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