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Syrian rebels name new military commander

By BARBARA SURKZEINA KARAM
Published February 17, 2014 7:09pm ET
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Syrian rebels name new military commander
In this photo taken in 2013 and provided by the anti-government activist group of the Media Office for the Revolutionary Command Council in Quneitra and Golan, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Brig. Gen. Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir, the new military chief of the Free Syrian Army, posing for a picture in Jordan. The Western-backed Free Syrian Army has appointed a new military chief, opposition groups announced Monday as they try to restructure a rebel movement that has fallen into disarray as it faces rampant infighting and declining international support for its fight to topple President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Media Office for the Revolutionary Command Council in Quneitra and Golan) | HOEP

BEIRUT (AP) — After losing ground to Syrian forces and Islamic extremists for months, the Western-backed rebel movement announced Monday it was replacing its military chief with an experienced, moderate field commander from the south.

The move is part of a broader restructuring aimed at persuading the U.S. and its allies to provide more sophisticated weapons to confront President Bashar Assad’s army after diplomatic efforts to end the war failed to take off.

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