(24.5.2016) Washington will continue to back a rebel group that reportedly committed a massacre in Syria, because they were “vetted” by the Saudis and play a role in the Syrian political process, the State Department spokesman told reporters.

Ahrar Al-Sham (Harakat Ahrar ash-Sham al-Islamiyya or “Islamic Movement of the Free Men of the Levant”) is one of the largest rebel groups in Syria, and belongs to the Saudi-backed High Negotiating Committee (HNC).