Confusing, conflicting info about the U.S. assisted attacks on Isis forces in Kobani (Syria)

[Lodestar]

I just saw a news reporter interviewing some fresh Syrian refugees who had to flee Kobani and cross the Turkish border.
Besides the fact that there is absolutely NO help or place for them to stay (thousands taking shelter in a concrete building under
construction) the men said something very curious. They said that although the U.S. has been dropping defensive bombs and dropping weapons for the Kurds, The Islamic State troops were rapidly gaining ground. They said there was absolutely no one defending them (the town's residents) and that they were all forced to flee across the border by Islamic State troops that (here's the weird part) didn't seem to speak any Arabic but rather were speaking French. They said they would appeal to them but these troops didn't seem to understand what they were saying and would kill anyone who didn't follow their orders


http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/features/update/movie201410220810.html

Massive Exodus from Syria
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/
===

Why would ISIS troops be speaking French?

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Damn that George Bush and his Freedom fries!

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. They could be Tunisian

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025533845

The "barely speaking Arabic" might be that regional accents are wide apart; I know there are variations in dialect, but someone who can speak Arabic might be able to say if that could be enough to produce bad communication. Or they could be French, of course - it's hard to know if this is something several people found, or just the one man interviewed.

[Lurks Often]

3. Conflicts with a basis in religion often draws in foreigners

that identify with the religion, so Sunni religious fundamentalists from France who joined ISIS would likely be grouped in a single unit to avoid language difficulties.

There are probably other groups of varying sizes that just speak English or German or Russian

[FSogol]

4. Maybe they are doing heavy recruiting from Equatorial Guinea, Benin, and the Republic of Seychelles