Al Qaeda-linked militants justified their takeover of a
strategic opposition-held town near the Syrian border with
Turkey by accusing the Syrian rebels who held it of being pro-
democracy traitors who cooperated with Western officials like
U.S. Sen. John McCain.  The ousted rebels "have called for
democracy ... which conflicts with Islamic teachings," the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria announced in an online statement
Monday.  ISIS said it "cleansed" the northern border town of
Azaz of more moderate fighters from the rebel Free Syrian Army
in the past week because the rebels "received American Senator
McCain and agreed with him to fight Islamists."  Earlier this
year, McCain made a surprise visit to this border region to lend
support to Syrian rebels.  FSA rebels have controlled Azaz and
the Syrian side of the Oncupinar-Bab el Salama border crossing
with Turkey since seizing the town from the government of
President Bashar al-Assad last year.  ISIS militants attacked
the Syrian rebels and drove them out of Az