Free SEAL Team Six: Hunt the Fox by Don Mann, Ralph Pezzullo Page A

Islamists, dedicated to imposing a medieval-style Islamic caliphate, run under a strict interpretation of Sharia law, in any territory under their control. They were known to assassinate rival rebel commanders they suspected of conspiring against them, including a popular doctor and rebel brigade commander who had been tortured and killed in December.
    Other al-Qaeda–affiliated groups such as the al-Nusra Front were more moderate and willing to compromise. On the other side of the political spectrum sat the FSA, whose objective was the overthrow of the Assad regime and the establishment of some form of representative government.
    In late 2013, ISIS and FSA had fought pitched battles north and west of Idlib that had resulted in as many as a thousand casualties. In December ISIS seized an FSA weapons warehouse along the Turkish border.
    Alarmed by the infighting, nations supporting the rebels gathered in Ankara in late December. Attending this meeting were representatives of Turkey, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, and more than a dozen other rebel groups. These countries promised additional support if the groups they supported pledged to work together. The FSA (backed by Turkey), SRF (Syrian Revolutionary Front, backed by Saudi Arabia), the Army of Islam (backed by Qatar), the Syrian Martyrs’ Brigade, and ten other groups signed an agreement to cooperate under the banner of the Syrian Revolutionary Front to push back ISIS and liberate Syria.
    Bolstered by new equipment, money, and a renewed sense of purpose, Syrian Revolutionary Front units had made major inroads in the past several weeks, pushing ISIS back to an area northwest of Aleppo.
    Crocker realized that the ever-shifting rebel alliances only complicated Black Cell’s mission. Because Assad’s army still controlled parts of the city and various rebel militias continued to fight for control for the area around Idlib, infil and exfil would be problematic. Entering via helicopter or parachute was probably out of the question. Even more difficult was the challenge of removing the canisters. Since Idlib was far from the coast, they would have to enter and leave by truck.
    Mr. Asani explained that the road from the Turkish border town of Reyhanli was considered safer, but it was at least twice as long as the route from Yayladaği, farther west. Both roads presented multiple challenges, including mines, IEDs, and roadblocks. Also, there was a danger that the Syrian air force could mistake vehicles as belonging to the rebels or rebel sympathizers, perhaps ferrying arms or other supplies, which meant that they could travel only at night.
    As the minutes passed and Crocker’s body begged for more rest, he considered two other problems. The first had to do with the number of individuals (particularly the ones in MiT) who were now aware of his and his team’s presence. Given the religious nature of the conflict in Syria and the political/religious struggle currently raging in Turkey, it was impossible to know these individuals’ loyalties.
    Second, because of the sketchy nature of the information about the situation on the ground, there was no way to know what they might encounter once they entered Syria. And there would be no one to call for help.

Chapter Five
    My mama always said you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.
    —Forrest Gump
    E arly the next morning he was driven to the American consulate, which involved crossing the Galata Bridge and following a highway that snaked alongside the Bosphorus north toward the Black Sea. Last night’s storm had cleared the air, leaving deep-blue skies and puffy cumulus clouds on the horizon.
    He was thinking of home and walks along Chincoteague Beach, holding Holly’s hand. During the last session in Dr. Mathews’s office, she had accused him of loving his job and his teammates more than his family.
    “Not true,” he had told her then. But now he admitted she might be right. The truth