The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that IS and other significant Iraqi and Syrian rebel factions, including both “Islamist” and “moderate” groups, have signed a mutual non-aggression pact in a Damascus suburb.

Anti War reports that the pact was said to have been brokered by al-Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra, and agrees that all sides will respect a truce until the destruction of the “Nussayri” regime, a pejorative term for Alawites.

This means that the US’s enemy, Islamic State, is not going to fight against the US’s ally, the “moderate rebels.”

The move comes as the Obama Administration “pushes to provide more arms to the various non-ISIS rebel factions, on the notion that those rebels can be used against ISIS. That certainly doesn’t seem to be the plan as far as those rebels are concerned, though they will no doubt accept the US arms and, as usual, share them with ISIS” (Source: antiwar.com)

As The Hill notes, “The development could influence members of Congress to vote “no” on an authorization to train and equip moderate rebel groups as early as next week. The White House has requested the authorization, but some lawmakers have already been skeptical the opposition groups can be trusted.”