Syrian al-Qaeda forces mass near Turkey crossing
Al-Qaeda militants massed on Monday near a Syrian border town, edging closer to a vital crossing under control of Western-backed rebels, activists said, underscoring the weakness of the fighters who America hopes could be a moderate force in the chaotic civil war.
It was not clear whether the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front would attempt to take the Bab al-Hawa crossing after the militants overran towns and villages this week held by Western-backed groups in the northwestern Idlib province. Reports later emerged that some Western-backed rebels pledged allegiance to the al-Qaeda group.
