Qaida Confirms Nusra is Part of Network, Groups Now Called Islamic State in Iraq and Levant
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Al-Qaida in Iraq said for the first time on Tuesday that Al-Nusra Front, a jihadist group battling President Bashar Assad's regime, was part of its network and fighting for an Islamic state in Syria.
The remarks by the leader of al-Qaida's front group in Iraq, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, were made in an audio message posted on jihadist forums and confirm widespread suspicions of links between the two groups.
"It is time to declare to the Levant and to the world that the Al-Nusra Front is simply a branch of the Islamic State of Iraq," Baghdadi said in the audio message.
The groups will now be combined and called the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
Baghdadi said the group was willing to ally with other groups "on the condition that the country and its citizens be governed according to the rules dictated by Allah.”
Al-Nusra Front first gained notoriety for its suicide bombings in Syria but has evolved into a formidable fighting force leading attacks on battlefronts throughout the country.
Its suspected affiliation to al-Qaida's front group in Iraq led to it being labeled a "terrorist" organization by Washington in December.
At the time, the U.S. State Department described it as a "new alias" for al-Qaida in Iraq, and said it was "an attempt by AQI to hijack the struggles of the Syrian people for its own malign purposes.”
According to the U.S., the head of al-Qaida in Iraq "is in control of both AQI and Al-Nusra" and reports on Internet forums used by jihadists indicate hundreds of militants have made the trip from Iraq into Syria to fight Assad's regime.
Syria's conflict, now in its third year, is believed to have killed more than 70,000 people since it erupted in March 2011.
09 April 2013, 10:28
37
That's something everyone already knows, and they have people like Samir Geagea openly rooting for them ("Fal ya7kom al ikhwan").
Al Qaeda and all the other filthy terrorist organizations in their network (Nusra Front, FSA, etc.) must be defeated at any and all costs.
God bless Lebanon, and God bless freedom and democracy. Down with FSA-Al Qaeda and Arabism! Down with Wahabism! Down with terrorism!
09 April 2013, 10:47
74
Go join HA in Syria.
Oh yeah you forgot to say and include
HA, Persainism, khawarajism.....
Also Jihadi dutism
Oh yeah almost forgot
And Terrorism! Oh you said that!
09 April 2013, 17:17
21
just yesterday FT it was anyone who is fighting abroad whether from this side or that one should be condemned.
Its fascinating to watch FPM politics. the most interesting part is how the supporters start phasing out their old comments and slipping in the new stances slowly until as if they believe themselves. and then they argue it as if it is a god given truth.
yalla who knows, maybe aoun will ally himself with al nusra
weirder things have happened
09 April 2013, 14:38
41
@karim they said nusra is part of al qaeda and not the fsa. but it seems all you march 8 ppl like to believe other wise. there's hasn't been any evidence saying otherwise.and don't forget that it was the u.s that first announced that nusra were al qaeda
09 April 2013, 18:00
20
they defend syria because syria defends israel.... that s all otherwise the us and europe would have intervened...
09 April 2013, 18:46
20
if they wanted syria destroyed they would have launched a military action like in libya... but they do not want bashar to fall but at the same time are waiting to see who will take the advantage and then help efficiently.
but syria is helping israel more than you say because they prefered a war being launch from lebanon to keep their country safe ! just pure hypocrisy and some lebanese praise this? lol... they say syria helped lebanon but in fact did all they could to preserve their country from a war with israel and let the lebanese be killed instead! so those lebanese supporting this regime just supported this fact!
09 April 2013, 18:42
10
id like to ask you the same. why didnt the assad regime fire a single bullet to liberate his golan for years?
i mean who knows, if the rebels are done with bashar, maybe they'll actually do some resisting. (i have to say i very much doubt it but the post aims at showing your selective criticism. i mean how clearer can it be, you are criticizing assad's enemies for not doing what he hasnt done when it should have been his job and his father's for years)
09 April 2013, 18:51
10
ba3dein thats quite narrow minded of you. most of these jihadis fought the americans themselves in iraq and afghanistan, gaddhafi in libya, and they probably would have joined in egypt and tunisia if things had developed in that way.
so be objective please. those are jihadist and they will fight anyone they deem as indfidel, whether american or zionist or sunni or shia. the world is not black and white. its not "you're with us or against us". thats george w bush's view isnt it ;)
09 April 2013, 20:59
02
It's a known fact that the FSA , nusra, Al Qaida are all in same bed with each other including all fanatical Jihadist around the globe with Malek Abdullah been the main sponsor as well as the GCC sates.
10 April 2013, 04:16
01
I sometimes wonder about these so called FSA / jihadist / Suicide bombers , are they really fighting for a cause or are they willing to kill themselves in order to pay off a debt given by their KSA sponsors to their families back home , which I heard was for as little as US $ 5000. Hope these poor men come to their sensors sooner than later .. What a lost cause on behalf of these poor guys been used, go back to your families it's not worth it , let the sheiks fight it amongst themselves
