A prominent Syrian rebel faction said on Saturday that Western strikes against government positions were a "farce" as long as President Bashar al-Assad remained in power.

 

"Punishing the instrument of the crime while keeping the criminal -- a farce," wrote Mohammad Alloush, a key member of the Jaish al-Islam rebel group.

 

Jaish al-Islam was in control of the town of Douma, the site of the alleged chemical attack that prompted Western military action.