Al Qaeda affiliate expands role in Syria revolt

Syrian opposition leaders report an alarming growth within their ranks of fighters from Jabhat al-Nusra, an extremist group linked to al-Qaeda, according to David Ignatius in the Washington Post.  Jabhat  now has between 6,000 and 10,000 fighters – accounting for 7.5 percent to 9 percent of the Free Syrian Army's total fighters, up sharply from an estimated 3 percent three months ago and 1 percent at the beginning of the year.