U.S.-backed Syrian rebel army fires top commander many considered ineffective

Brig. Gen. Salim Idriss is to be replaced by Brig. Gen. Abdul-Ilah Bashir Al-Noeimi, a rebel field commander in southern Syria, the statement said. The move appeared to be part of a broader shakeup of the rebel leadership as the Syrian conflict nears the three-year mark with little sign of a resolution.

Idriss, a high-profile defector from the Syrian army, served as the public face of the Free Syrian Army for the past 14 months and was a key intermediary with the United States and other nations providing cash and other aid to the rebels. Idriss was also frequently featured in interviews in the Western and regional press. However, some battlefield commanders and other critics regarded him as a rear-guard official with little impact on military strategy.

The decision to sack Idriss comes at a time of uncertainty and likely redirection for the Western-backed FSA, which has long been a loose franchise operation. The FSA is but one part of a heavily fragmented rebel force fighting to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. It was never clear how many troops or brigades actually reported to Idriss’ leadership, or whether he had much power to direct actions in the field.