Syrian Lion
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Jordanian Air Force Captain Defects to Terrorists
A leading figure in the Salafi movement in Jordan revealed on Monday that a captain in the Jordanian air force joined the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra to fight alongside armed groups in Syria.
The Salafi said that 29 year-old Captain Ahmad Atallah al-Majali contacted members of the Salafi movement before heading to Syria through Turkey after he took leave from his post.
According to another source, al-Majali who isn't a pilot faces a sentence of death by hanging for going AWOL.
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MMAN, Jordan -- Relatives of a Jordanian air force pilot say he has joined al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, or Nusra Front, which is fighting in Syria to oust President Bashar Assad.
More than 300 Jordanians, some linked to domestic militant groups, have joined Syrian rebels fighting to overthrow Assad. But it is the first time a Jordanian with military rank defects to the rebels.
The two relatives said Monday that Ahmad Majali, 29, abandoned his post in central Jordan last Wednesday and took a commercial flight to Turkey Friday.
From there, he entered Syria overland and joined the Nusra Front, they added.
The Royal Jordanian Air Force declined comment, but confirmed that Majali is a pilot with the rank of captain.
The two relatives insisted on anonymity for fear of Jordanian police retribution.
Ahmad Majali, Jordan Air Force Pilot, Joins Jabhat Al Nusra, Syrian Islamist Rebel Group
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A Jordanian air force captain has allegedly deserted and joined Syrias jihadist Jabhat Al Nusra to fight against President Bashar Assads forces, a member of his family and a Salafist leader said on Monday.
Ahmad Atallah Shbeib Al Majali, born in 1984, took a leave from his job last Wednesday and travelled to Turkey on Friday, and from there he went to Syria to join the rebels, the family member told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The relative added that Majali was promoted just two weeks ago.
The Jordan Armed Forces refused to comment, while there was no immediate reaction available from the government.
A Salafist leader confirmed Majalis defection and that he has joined Al Nusra, which seeks to establish an Islamic state in Syria.
The captain from the southern city of Karak has been in touch with members of Al Nusra and has decided to join them. There are eight people fighting with Jabhat Al Nusra from his area, he told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The front is among the most prominent groups fighting against Assads forces in the Syrian conflict.
Another source told AFP that Majali was not a pilot.
He has deserted and could face the death penalty if convicted of desertion, the source added without elaborating.
Jordanian Salafists have said there were more than 500 jihadists from the country in Syria.
http://jordantimes.com/jordan-air-force-captain-joins-syria-jihadists
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My questions how can an active military pilot leave the country with a commercial flight?