# Did the American that fought with Syrian rebels do anything wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279 "2013-03-29T18:31:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279/1 "2013-03-29T18:31:19Z")
Americans have a long history of fighting in foreign wars. I’ve heard Soldier of Fortune carrys classified ads for mercenary jobs. Americans joined the RAF in WWII. The famous Flying Tigers flew in China. Why did this guy get arrested? Why is he being singled out? **Disclaimer:** I find the whole merc thing a bit silly. A lot of wanna be soldiers that couldn’t hack it in the US forces. But if someone wants to earn a buck fighting in someone elses war then why should it suddenly be illegal? > **[US ex-soldier 'fought in Syria with terror group'](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21971790)** > > An American ex-soldier is charged with using a weapon outside the US as he fought against Syrian government forces, prosecutors say. > [@](#): > > A former US soldier has been charged with using a weapon outside the US as he fought against Syrian government forces, prosecutors say. > > Eric Harroun, 30, served in the US Army from 2000-2003, and allegedly fought in Syria with the al-Nusra Front. > > Al-Nusra is deemed a terror group by the US as an alias of al-Qaeda in Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279/2 "2013-03-29T19:07:11Z")
The bit you quoted says, “allegedly fought in Syria with the al-Nusra Front. Al-Nusra is deemed a terror group by the US as an alias of al-Qaeda in Iraq.” The article to which you linked says, “He is specifically charged with ‘conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction outside of the United States’, a law that applies to US nationals anywhere in the world.” So isn’t it clear why he is being charged? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279/3 "2013-03-29T19:16:49Z")
Well, what about all the Mercs fighting around the world? Is the US suddenly going to label every one of them a criminal? Political affiliation comes and goes in war zones. If somebody offers arms and supplies then thats who the rebels may align with. It doesn’t necessarily mean they care about the ideology. I guess it seems like they are opening up a big can of worms. Aren’t there thousands of Mercs fighting or providing security in various countries? Maybe I watch too many Chuck Norris movies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279/4 "2013-03-29T19:23:58Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Well, what about all the Mercs fighting around the world? Is the US suddenly going to label every one of them a criminal? If they fight in support of groups that the US government has deemed to be terrorist organizations, then yes, the US will “suddenly” label every one of them a criminal. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Political affiliation comes and goes in war zones. If somebody offers arms and supplies then thats who the rebels may align with. It doesn’t necessarily mean they care about the ideology. Tough shit. If I fought for al-Qaida and killed 10,000 American citizens, would it matter to you if I said it was only the money that mattered to me, that I didn’t care about their ideology? > [@aceplace57](#): > > I guess it seems like they are opening up a big can of worms. Aren’t there thousands of Mercs fighting or providing security in various countries? I’ve no idea how many mercs there are in the world, or exactly what they are all up to, but yeah, the guy providing security to the next bin Laden type is going to be “suddenly” labeled a criminal for supporting a terrorist organization. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Maybe I watch too many Chuck Norris movies. 😃 If you are watching any Chuck Norris at all then yes, you are watching too much Chuck Norris. There is no recognized safe level of consumption of Chuck Norris. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279/5 "2013-03-29T19:28:12Z")
I wasn’t talking about someone fighting Americans. The Syrian rebels are fighting one of the worst dictators in the Middle East. Just like the Libyan rebels fought Gaddafi. Anyone aiding a group harming Americans is a traitor. If theres any indication this guy was plotting anything against the US then he needs a trip to Gitmo. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279/6 "2013-03-29T20:43:26Z")
It doesn’t matter why or who he was fighting against in this instance, but who he was fighting for. And he was fighting for a group previously labeled as terrorists. That alone makes it illegal. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279/7 "2013-03-29T21:17:39Z")
What if I’m fighting for a group that is suddenly labeled as terrorists by the US government, but was not before? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279/8 "2013-03-29T23:27:59Z")
Just a guess, but I’d say that as long as you stopped fighting after the label got slapped on your employer, no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279/9 "2013-03-30T02:38:40Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > But if someone wants to earn a buck fighting in someone elses war then why should it suddenly be illegal? Based on our own cite in the OP, he’s not being charged with making a buck fighting in someone else’s war. He’s charged with “conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction outside of the United States, a law that applies to US nationals anywhere in the world.” That’s quite different from being charged with being a mercenary. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-american-that-fought-with-syrian-rebels-do-anything-wrong/654279/10 "2013-03-30T02:58:59Z")
He was part of a RPG squad fighting in Syria. CNN did a good job analyzing the complicated politics in deciding which rebel forces to support. It sounds like some of the decisions were pretty arbitrary. Whos the good guys and whos the bad guys. I agree this American made a huge mistake going over there. He’ll probably pay a heavy price in an American prison. He picked the wrong rebel group and they’ll burn his butt for it. > **[U.S. branding of al-Nusra as terrorists may have unintended consequences | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/11/world/meast/syria-terror-group-explainer)** > > The U.S. State Department’s listing of al-Nusra as a terrorist organization gets mixed reviews in Syria, where some rebels say al-Nusra’s expertise is needed. > [@](#): > > Aleppo, Syria (CNN) – In designating the al-Nusra Front as a foreign terrorist organization and an offshoot of al Qaeda in Iraq, the U.S. State Department has put flesh on the bones of its policy of discriminating between the “bad” Syrian rebels and the “good” ones. But the decision is getting mixed reviews in Syria. > > Rebels in brigades fighting around Aleppo have told CNN that the move is a miscalculation. Their argument goes something like this: "The U.S. and the West in general have given us next to no help while we’ve witnessed thousands die at the hands of Bashar al-Assad’s heavy weaponry and dominance of the skies. > > “To add insult to injury, Washington has now proscribed one of the most effective fighting forces among rebel groups. We may not share al-Nusra’s worldview, but we need their organizational and battlefield experience.” > > This has translated into resentment and anger toward the United States on the ground, as people ask: “Al-Nusra are terrorists, but Bashar is not?” > [@](#): > > He allegedly fought as part of a group using rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and is not charged with providing material support to a terror group. > **[US ex-soldier 'fought in Syria with terror group'](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21971790)** > > An American ex-soldier is charged with using a weapon outside the US as he fought against Syrian government forces, prosecutors say.