Syria Civil War Video Claims L.a. Gang Members are Fighting for Assad
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Two men claiming to be Los Angeles-area gang members have posted a video showing them firing
rifles in Syria's civil war, apparently fighting on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
In the profanity-laced video, the two men fire rifles from behind a cinder-block wall
at "enemigos" -- enemies -- though the camera never shows an enemy in the distance. The
two men often refer to "gang-banging" and their "homies," and one of them displays gang
hand gestures and tattoos. The video was publicized this week by the
Middle East Media Research Institute, a Washington-based organization that studies and translates news
accounts and social-media postings. "This is very unique because these guys are
over there, and they are with the pro-Syria forces and pro-Hezbollah forces," said Steven
Stalinksy, executive director of the institute. "We have been monitoring foreign fighters
over the years, and there has been a handful of Americans going to fight, but they have
been going to fight against Assad." The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces is investigating
the video. "The JTTF is aware of the video and is investigating
to determine any potential threat to Americans or to U.S. interests," FBI spokeswoman Ari
Dekofsky said in a statement. "We are not in a position to provide further comment at
this time." The ties to the al-Assad regime apparently
stem from how one of the two gang members identifies himself as "Wino" from the Westside
Armenian Power gang. Some Armenians side with Assad because he has protected the minority
group in Syria. Wino uploaded the video and photographs to
his Facebook page, where he is identified as "Wino Ayee Peeyakan" and by his real name,
Nerses Kilajyan, according to MEMRI. The video was also posted to YouTube.
