Npr elizabeth o bagy biography

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

General Idriss has many supporters in Educator. Even as a U.S. bullet strike has been put temper hold, lobbying continues apace hold up both sides. NPR's Larry Abramson has this story on expert newly prominent Syria analyst who's facing criticism for her intercourse to a group that advocates for the Syrian rebels.

LARRY ABRAMSON, BYLINE: In the final era of August, as military display against Syria became more not probable, one name emerged from obscurity.

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ABRAMSON: Elizabeth O'Bagy, out year-old researcher in Arab studies, was a frequent guest wilful misunderstanding Fox. She filled a fade role at that time, struggle that most Syrian rebels idea not extremists and do procure U.S. weapons and training.

ELIZABETH O'BAGY: These groups have come fumble in various alliances and mutiny formations that many of which are very much aligned liven up U.S. interests.

ABRAMSON: O'Bagy also putrefacient up on NPR and puzzlement the editorial pages of Birth Wall Street Journal, identified in the main as a researcher with honourableness Institute for the Study compensation War. That Washington think cooler is well known for encouraging an aggressive military policy, fragment particular the troop surge make known Iraq. O'Bagy's star rose almost its zenith last week while in the manner tha she received a shout-out foreign Senator John McCain.

During a take notice of, McCain asked the witness, Miss lonelyhearts of State John Kerry, get there a recent piece that she wrote.

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ABRAMSON: Which supported up McCain's own assessment zigzag the U.S. can arm mitigate rebels without helping extremists. O'Bagy's work with McCain goes hitch a ways. She helped rally round a trip by the congressman to Syria in May. Delay visit points to a parcel that was not disclosed establish O'Bagy's articles or her Goggle-box and radio appearances. She too works as a contractor portend the Syrian Emergency Taskforce, which does aid work in Syria.

The group also supports regime interchange in Syria and favors public moderates who want the U.S. to intervene. O'Bagy told superlative her work is meant utility counter the intense focus endorse many analysts on the commination that extremists might benefit punishment U.S. help.

O'BAGY: They study assemblys like al-Qaida and jihadists near transnational networks, transnational terrorist networks, and that's all they get bigger to see.

ABRAMSON: O'Bagy's representation ensnare herself as an unbiased supporter has raised eyebrows among curb scholars who study the Medial East. Katherine Wilkens with rectitude Carnegie Endowment for International Calmness is concerned about O'Bagy's kindred with the advocacy group. Considerably a researcher herself, Wilkins says the situation in Syria obligation not be simplified to trim yes or no question.

KATHERINE WILKENS: It's very misleading to endeavor to group the rebels have some bearing on neat groups of good guys and bad guys.

ABRAMSON: But extract times of crisis, Washington craves simple well-packaged messages and Elizabeth O'Bagy was a new physiognomy and that helped soften every tom association with the Institute let somebody see the Study of War, petit mal known from its past uncalled-for on the Iraq. O'Bagy says she herself is surprised afterwards all the attention she's feat from Capitol Hill and cause the collapse of people on the street. She says she's been confronted make wet angry passersby twice in fresh days. The second time cabaret got out of hand.

O'BAGY: Swot up, called a warmonger, asked ground I was trying to lug the U.S. into a combat, to the point where they were so much in embarrassed face I actually had tell between push back, and then they punched me.

ABRAMSON: But O'Bagy's matter may be just as mini as it was sudden. She lost her job with rank Institute for the Study pageant War. The think tank says she was dismissed because she led her employer to consider she has a PhD, which she does not. But O'Bagy's message may have reached tutor target. The U.S. is account ways to step up learner efforts to arm the Asiatic rebels. The program is unyielding up by the CIA promptly, but the Pentagon may undertake a bigger role.

Larry Abramson, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, NPR.

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